


Lightning in a Summer Sky

by Persephone_orchids



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: AU, European summer romance vibes, F/M, Fluff, Grecian summer, Laxus isn't a complete dick, Moving On, Romance, real world AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2020-11-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:00:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 34,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25150546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Persephone_orchids/pseuds/Persephone_orchids
Summary: Modern day, real world AU. Lucy has had her heart shattered, and escapes to a quiet island for some much needed relaxation. When Lucy bumps into an old acquaintance, her summer of healing becomes so much more. But she isn't sure if she's ready to allow herself that kind of happiness again.Slow burn LaLu fic.Summary sucks, story (hopefully) sucks less.I own nothing but the plot.
Relationships: Laxus Dreyar/Lucy Heartfilia
Comments: 59
Kudos: 136





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Being stuck at home with nothing to do during this pandemic is clearly feeding the creative juices. I have the initial part of this story down, and am rapidly developing it.  
> Fair warning, there may be smut in later chapters, I do not know yet.  
> I hope you like this! I'm having such a blast writing it! (and also just really enjoying writing my Laxus.)  
> Please read and review! I'm excited to know what you think!  
> <3

Lucy meandered through the old building, skimming her hand along the cold stone as she walked the cobbled path by herself. White dome roofs sparkled in the afternoon sun, and the Aegean glistened as light bounced off the calm water. Lucy found a narrow staircase that led to the roof. She climbed the steep steps carefully, emerging at the top. Lucy inhaled sharply as she slowly spun, taking in the view. To one side was the gorgeous, cerulean sea. Off to its side, the small port and seafront restaurants that contributed heavily to this tiny Greek island’s income. The rest of the island sprawled out behind her -- a labyrinth of cobbled paths, white homes, blue doors, and the occasional grey stone ruin. Lucy felt like she had let go of a breath that she didn’t know she was holding. She was the only person on this abandoned rooftop, and she couldn’t bring herself to leave this view just yet. She sat on the ground, ignoring the dust that had no doubt collected there. Sitting cross legged, she leaned back on her palms and closed her eyes and a sea breeze blew across her face. Lucy had needed this more than she realised. She tried to suppress the thought which followed it, but it reared its ugly head nonetheless. Tears pricked at the corners of Lucy’s eyes.

_ Lucy was walking towards Natsu’s apartment. Graduation was right around the corner, and Lucy wanted to give Natsu the gift she bought him. It was a pair of cufflinks in the shape of tiny flames. She wanted him to wear it during the ceremony. She skipped up the stairs to his apartment, only to find it locked. Natsu rarely locked his apartment, unless he was showering or wasn’t at home. In any case, Lucy retrieved the spare key he’d given her from her bag and unlocked the door pushing it open. _

_ “Hey Nats--” Lucy froze when two pairs of eyes turned to meet hers. _

_ Lisanna, a friend of Natsu’s, was straddling his lap, bare chested, while Natsu, also half naked had his hands on her ass.  _

_ Lucy drew in a deep breath, left the gift on his side table along with the key he gave her, and she left, shutting the door behind her. She heard Natsu calling out to her, and she even heard him trip down the stairs behind her. She didn’t look back once, and when she was out of the building, he stopped following. That was the second last time Lucy interacted with her boyfriend of 4 years.  _

_ She stoically avoided Natsu’s gaze at graduation and dragged her father away from him when he attempted to shake his hand. The last time she interacted with him was at the end of graduation, when he cornered her as she waited for her father who was busy talking to other parents.  _

_ He was wearing the cuff links she bought him. Seeing them made her want to rip his jacket off and burn it. “Hey Luce… I didn’t if you’d want these back…” he toyed with the cufflinks, ready to take them out and hand them over.  _

_ “Keep them. They were a gift.” She looked past him, at a point behind his shoulder.  _

_ “Right… Well, thanks. And Lucy, I wanted to explain… I’m sorry Lucy, it didn’t--” _

_ “‘It didn’t mean anything?’ Is that what you were going to say?” Lucy finally met his gaze, fury shining in her brown eyes. “Well Natsu, that’s a load of crap. You know what it meant? It meant that I, that us, hadn’t meant anything to you. Especially if you were so quick to throw our relationship away to get into the pants of the first hot, young thing that flashed her thong at you,” Lucy spat at him viciously. Natsu physically shrank away from her wrath.  _

_ “I loved you, Natsu,” Lucy’s voice cracked as tears welled in her eyes. “You were my first friend at university, you were my first serious relationship, you were the man I lost my virginity to. I wanted to marry you, Natsu!” The dam had broken and tears now flowed freely down Lucy’s face. A small part of her was shocked and a small part of her was vindicated when she saw a tear fall onto Natsu’s cheek, followed by another, and another. A part of her, she didn’t know how large or small it was, wanted to reach over and wipe them away. But she looked into his eyes and could only see the expression he’d worn when she caught his infidelity.  _

_ She walked past him, being careful to prevent their shoulders from brushing. _

_ “I never want to see you again. As far as I’m concerned, you don’t exist, and if you do anything to disrupt that, there will be hell to pay.” Her quiet voice sang of hurt, anger, betrayal, and rage. _

Lucy opened her eyes and swiped her hand across her cheeks, drying them of tears. She shook her head in an attempt to clear it, and consciously began drawing in deep breaths and slowly letting them out. She did this until she felt composed and in control, which coincided nicely with a rumble from her stomach. 

_ Time for lunch _ , Lucy thought to herself. She maneuvered herself down the steep staircase and walked towards the seafront. She was going to find a quiet restaurant to sit at where she could enjoy her meal, a glass of wine, and her book in peace. 

After graduation, Lucy moved back in with her father for a month, but eventually decided she needed to get out and go somewhere on her own. Her father was sad, but understood why she needed to do this for herself. 

Despite her insistent refusal, her father paid for a lot of her vacation, and would wire money to her bank every week. 

_ “What’s the point of having a darling daughter if I don’t get to spoil her, huh?” he asked her, chuckling. “I have no need for this money, my sweetheart. If you can use it to see new things, enjoy new experiences, and live your life, then I would like to give it to you. Watching you live to the fullest will bring me more joy than humanly possible.” _

_ Lucy hugged her father around his midriff, briefly regretting her decision to go. But, somewhere deep in the pit of her stomach, she knew her destiny waited for her elsewhere. _

Soon after that conversation, Lucy bought a one-way ticket to Greece. She found a quaint rental home on a tiny island where she was guaranteed no distractions. Just her, the beach, the sun, and an endless supply of wine. 

At the far end of the pier she found a restaurant that looked mostly vacant.

_ Perfect! _ Lucy walked towards the restaurant with determination in her eyes and smile on her lips. That is until she saw a complication. A very tall, broad, blond complication who noticed her a moment after she noticed him.

Sitting at a table in the very restaurant she had planned on sequestering herself in was a man she’d never forget. 

“La--Laxus? Laxus Dreyer?” Lucy sputtered.

“Lucy Heartfilia. Fancy seeing you here, beautiful.” He put his book down and leaned back, signature cocky grin adorning his face. 


	2. Chapter 2

Lucy had spoken to Laxus only once, under the influence of copious amounts of alcohol, and yet she remembered every second of their encounter. Before she and Natsu had begun dating, back when she was a freshman in University, she had her heart set on Laxus Dreyer. He was a senior, and while he flew under the radar, everyone seemed to know him. He walked around campus with headphones on and a bored expression that was occasionally replaced with amused arrogance when he overheard snippets of conversation around him.

_ “You did WHAT?!” Levy shrieked, nearly rupturing Lucy’s eardrum. Lucy giggled as her best friend shook her, demanding more details. _

_ “Well, I was feeling very brave, given the amount of alcohol I had in me. And so I walked up to Laxus at the party and asked him what music he was listening to. He played some of his stuff for me, and it was actually very good. We talked for a little bit, and then he got up and left.” Lucy smirked. _

_ “Fuck you Lucy, tell me about the main bit!” Levy continued shaking the pretty blonde. _

_ “Before he left, he stood in front of me…” _

_ “Yes?” _

_ “Grabbed me by my waist…” _

_ “Yeees?” _

_ “And leaned down to kiss me!" _

_ Both girls squealed in excitement.  _

_ "We made out for a couple minutes before he pulled away, winked, and left. He whispered 'this was fun, beautiful' in my ear before leaving." _

_ “Oh my god! That’s so hot. Do you think he’ll text you now?” _

_ “I doubt it. I never gave him my number. Come to think of it, I don't think he even knows my name. In any case, he’s graduating soon. But it really was an amazing night,” Lucy finished dreamily. _

Lucy had always secretly hoped that Laxus would text her, but eventually she found Natsu, and Laxus graduated without the pair ever meeting again.

“You know my name?” Lucy wasn’t sure why that was the first question out of her mouth, but they had ‘talked’ only once, and it had been four years since that eventful night.

“Of course I know your name. Senior year, Bacchus’s annual fall bash. We talked about music.” He didn’t mention the kiss, but his smirk and the glint in his eye told Lucy that he hadn’t forgotten it.

“Impressive memory, Laxus,” she congratulated. “What brings you to this tiny island?” she asked him.

“I’m a photographer. A magazine I freelance for sent me here, but I decided to stay on. Grab some shots for my personal portfolio.”

It was only then that Lucy noticed the camera bag on the chair next to his.

“What about you, Ms. Heartfilia? Why are you on this tiny island?”

“I… Uh… I needed to…” Lucy struggled to form sentences, unsure of how to tell him that heartbreak brought her here.

Laxus noticed her discomfort. “Hey, don’t worry about it. We can talk about it later. Or not at all. It’s not a big deal,” he smiled at her, hoping he successfully calmed her down.

“Thanks. It’s still a little fresh,” Lucy let out a shaky laugh, shifting her weight from foot to foot.

“Were you planning on eating here?” Laxus asked. When Lucy nodded, Laxus titled his head towards the chair across from him, “Feel free to join me. I haven’t ordered yet either.”

“Are you sure? I wouldn’t want to impose…” Lucy trailed off.

“Not at all.” Laxus pushed the chair out with his foot and gestured towards it once more. Lucy took her seat, dropping her bag on the chair next to her. When the handsome waiter approached them, Lucy ordered a glass of their house wine. 

“Actually, can you make that a carafe? I’ll do some wine as well,” Laxus amended her order. Shortly after, the wine appeared on their table, alongside an appetiser of olives and feta.

Conversation had been a little awkward at the start, but with wine and olives serving as lubrication, it began to flow more smoothly.

Lucy learnt that, upon graduating, Laxus worked a corporate job at a large consultancy firm for two years.

“A corporate job? Really? I cannot picture you in a suit and tie every single day,” Lucy said, giggling.

_ Though I don’t doubt that he would look damn fine _ , she thought. Laxus had just gotten more attractive in the four years since she’d seen him. 

“That job was…” Laxus struggled to think of a word that could possibly describe how heinous it had been. “Okay, picture yourself tied to a post, in the middle of an Indian summer, planted straight into a red ant colony, and on top of all of that, you are suffering from the most brutal case of constipation known to humankind.”

“Wow, was it really that bad?” If Lucy had any thoughts of finding a job before, they quickly vanished from her mind.

“Nah. That would have been a walk in the park compared to the shit I had to deal with.” Laxus allowed himself a small chuckle, pleased with his wittiness.

Lucy rolled her eyes at the blond man in front of her, ruefully shaking her head. 

It was soon after quitting his corporate job that Laxus took up photography, quickly rising to become an extremely ‘in-demand’ freelancer.

“What about you though? I assume you’re not here for work, so what are your plans, now that you’ve graduated?”

“I don’t have any. I knew I wanted a year off, just to get away from my routine. I wanted to spend this year travelling, volunteering, teaching, writing. And when next year rolls around, I’ll take a call then. I might go back to academia. Study some more, get my PhD, but for now, I’m pretty much letting the universe decide.” Lucy shrugged. She didn’t want him to think she was lazy or lacked ambition, but she was confident that this gap year was exactly what she needed.

“I think that’s great. Honestly. If I hadn’t thrown myself into the first job I got, I may have discovered photography sooner. It’s important for you to figure stuff out for yourself, and you can’t rush that.” Laxus looked at her encouragingly. Their second carafe of wine was nearly empty, and the attractive waiter was bringing over a third, completely unprompted. 

“And, for what it’s worth, I’m glad the universe chose to drop you off on this island. Tell Her I say thanks,” Laxus winked. 

It was only when the sun began to set that Laxus and Lucy realised how long they’d been sitting there. They had steadily made their way through several carafes of wine, and multiple plates of food. They both had pink flushes tingeing their cheeks, though neither was drunk. Laxus asked for the bill and pulled out his wallet. Lucy reached into her bag and retrieved hers.

“No, no, no. This is on me,” Laxus insisted.

“Not a chance, Dreyer. On a first date, I may be swayed into letting the guy pay, but otherwise, we’re going dutch. Fifty-fifty.” Lucy yanked the bill away from him, and quickly calculated fifty percent, factoring in a tip. She pulled the required amount out of her wallet and placed it on the table, looking at Laxus, almost daring him to present a rebuttal. Laxus grumbled incoherently under his breath, his eyebrows pulled together in a deep frown, but he behaved himself and dropped his share onto the table.

He stood up first and picked up his camera bag before offering Lucy his arm. Slinging her bag across her body, Lucy accepted, slipping her hand through his arm and wrapping it around his bicep. 

The pair walked down the pier, eventually turning off and heading towards the town centre.

“So, Ms. Heartfilia, what exciting plans do you have for tonight?” Laxus secretly hoped she’d spend the rest of the evening with him. He’d had a fantastic time with the young woman.

“I did get in only a couple days ago, so the jetlag is still taking its toll,” Lucy’s tone was almost apologetic.

“Of course. Well, then, Lucy, I suppose the gentlemanly thing to do would be to walk you to your doorstep.”

“Ah, Mr. Dreyer, I am much obliged,” Lucy returned in a high, affected voice, which sent her careening into a fit of giggles. Laxus merely smirked.

Lucy led Laxus to her home, at which point she let go of his arm.

“I had a great day Laxus. Truly.” She leaned in and gave him a hug. 

A surprised Laxus returned the hug with one arm before awkwardly patting her on her shoulder.

“Goodnight Laxus,” Lucy said, turning away from him.

“Lucy, wait,” Laxus called. “Be ready at 11am tomorrow. I’ll swing by and pick you up.”

“That’s awfully self-assured. What if I already had plans?” Lucy asked, placing her hands on her hips and sticking one side out.

“Okay. Do you have plans tomorrow, Lucy?” Laxus asked slowly, dragging out each word.

“No, I don’t Laxus,” Lucy mimicked him, dragging each word.

Laxus let out a “hmph” through his nose before saying, “Alright. 11am. I’ll see you then.” He turned and walked off. Lucy waited at her doorstep watching his retreating figure. He hadn't looked back once and yet, he knew she was still standing there.

“Goodnight, Heartfilia,” he called, with a wave of his hand.

“Cocky jerk,” Lucy whispered to herself, smiling as she entered her home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LaLu cuteness!! If Laxus if feeling OOC, that's because he is. I want to retain his cockiness, but we're not really gonna do the asshole aggressive thing. I'm a firm believer in Laxus's redemption. I'm trying not to rush the story, because I do want to really unpack and develop it, so right now, it is looking like it's going to be a slow burn.  
> The whole thing is playing out like a movie in my head, so I'm going to try and follow that romcom-esque vibe.   
> Feedback is always appreciated!


	3. Chapter 3

After a restful night, Lucy woke up feeling her body rhythm finally settle into normalcy. While it was still earlier than usual, she took advantage of the rising sun and decided to take a quick dip in the sea. She knew the beach would be relatively empty, save for the occasional fisherman or jogger. She slipped into a bikini, and threw a sheer kaftan over it. 

The beach was a five minute walk from Lucy’s home, and when she got there, she confirmed her suspicions. It was empty.    
_ Most people stay in bed at 6:30am, not jump into the ocean,  _ Lucy thought as she discarded her kaftan, flip flops, and bag, carefully placing them under a beach chair, and praying that no one decided to pick it up. Satisfied, now that her bag was safely hidden, she strolled to the shore line. A shiver ran through her as the cold waters lapped against her toes.

_ Maybe this is a bad idea. The water hasn’t warmed up yet. _ Lucy stood a moment as the waves kissed her feet before resolutely marching into the water. Once hip deep, Lucy quickly submerged herself and broke out into a vigorous swim. Lucy swam out into the ocean for a few minutes, before flipping around and swimming back. When it was shallow enough for her to stand, Lucy righted herself, letting the chest deep water ebb and flow around her. The sudden burst of energy had warmed up her muscles enough that the water just had a slight chill to it. Lucy let her legs float off the ground as she lay on her back, watching the sky change colours.

She must have stayed like that for a long while, appreciating the morning, when a shrill whistle startled her. Lucy snapped her head up, standing to see where the offending sound came from. At the shoreline she noticed a muscular lifeguard waving at her.

“Miss, are you okay?” He called in a heavily accented voice.

“I’m okay!” Lucy called back. The sun was starting to climb up into the sky and Lucy decided it was as good a time as any to move on with her day.

She slowly swam back to shore, before walking to the lifeguard.

“Sorry! Was I not allowed to be in the water?” She asked him. Up close, Lucy noticed that like the waiter yesterday, this man was absolutely stunning. With dark brown hair and honey eyes, this Greek God gazed down at Lucy.

_ Greek God is right. Holy shit. What is in the water? How is every person on this island so good looking?  _ Lucy stared up into his eyes, momentarily forgetting how to breathe.

“Not at all, Miss. It’s okay for you to swim. I was worried when I saw you floating and not moving.” He smiled at her.

Lucy laughed politely. “Well, thank you for your concern. I should get going now anyway. Have a good day!” She smiled brightly at the beautiful man.

“You too, Miss,” he waved as she walked away. 

Lucy picked up her bag and kaftan from below the beach chair, ecstatic when she found everything exactly where she had left it. She pulled her kaftan on, and it immediately clung to her damp body. Slipping her feet into her flip flops, Lucy made her way back home.

A warm bath and a bowl of fruit later, Lucy felt ready to take on the day. She stood in her bathrobe, eyeing her closet.

_ I wonder what Laxus has planned. I have no idea what to wear.  _ Lucy scratched her head. She pulled out multiple options, before settling on a simple, knee length, white cotton dress. It hugged her at her waist before gently flaring out around her legs. The round neck fell low enough to reveal some cleavage, but retained her modesty entirely. Thin straps on her shoulders held the whole affair up. Lucy wondered if her dress was too plain, but when she peeped outside her window and saw a bright sun, she decided that this dress would be the most comfortable thing on a hot day. Lucy checked the clock and noted that she still had an hour before Laxus was scheduled to arrive. 

Making herself a cup of coffee, Lucy went out to her porch and sat on the low chair that rested outside her door. She sipped her coffee and absent-mindedly flipped through her book as she took in the sights and sounds of the small island town rousing. 

Shortly before 11, Lucy picked up her book and empty mug, depositing one on her counter, and the other in her sink. She clasped a pretty, gold chain around her neck, with a small key shaped pendant falling just above her cleavage. A small pair of gold hooped earrings and a swipe of red lipstick later, Lucy was satisfied with how she looked. In less than 4 days of being under the Mediterranean sun, Lucy’s skin had taken on a warm, golden bronze hue that complimented her jewelry perfectly. 

Lucy glanced at her clock just in time to see 10:59 change to 11:00. Lucy slipped her feet into white sandals and was pulling a hair tie onto her wrist when she heard a knock at the door.

The clock hadn’t even turned to 11:01 yet.   
_ Talk about punctual _ , Lucy snorted. One last check to make sure she was decent, and Lucy headed for the door, grabbing her bag and pulling the strap onto her shoulder. She opened the door and saw no one. She stepped out and looked to her right, noticing Laxus lounge in the same chair she’d been sitting in only minutes prior. 

“Good morning, Laxus,” she greeted him cheerfully. When he stood up, she wrapped an arm around his chest in a friendly hug. This time, Laxus didn’t return her hug with an awkward shoulder pat, but instead wrapped his arm around her shoulders and squeezed gently. They broke apart, and Laxus gave Lucy an appraising look.

“You look good,” he said. 

“As do you,” Lucy returned the compliment with sincerity. His pale blue cotton shirt was unbuttoned at the top, exposing some of his chest, and his white linen pants were beautifully tailored and crisp. 

“You ready to go?” He asked her, handing her a yellow helmet.

“Are we taking a scooter somewhere?” Lucy asked, pulling the helmet on and fixing the clasp under her chin.

“As if,” Laxus let out a scornful snort. “Lucy, I don’t ride a  _ scooter _ .” Laxus’s gaze flitted to the street.

That’s when Lucy saw it. A sleek motorcycle parked outside her door. Laxus walked towards it, camera bag swinging from hand and black helmet swinging from the other. He securely strapped his camera bag onto the carrier at the back of the bike, before kicking it off the stand and swinging himself on. He sat perched on his bike as Lucy quickly made sure her front door was locked. She walked up to the bike and placed her hands on the seat. And then she paused. Laxus looked at her curiously, wondering why she wasn’t getting on.

“Uh, Laxus. I’ve never actually been on a bike before. How exactly do I get on? And can I get on in a dress?” Lucy’s face was flooded with confusion and worry.

Laxus let out a chortle. “You’re quite the character, Heartfilia,” he laughed. “Okay, put your right foot over there,” he pointed at the foot rest. “Now grab my shoulders and push yourself up, before swinging your left leg over and putting your left foot over there,” he pointed to the identical foot rest on the other side.

Lucy followed his instructions, carefully hoisting herself up and swinging her leg over. Laxus held the bike steady as Lucy shakily adjusted herself onto the seat. She glanced back to make sure her dress was covering her butt before saying, “Alright. I’m good to go!”

Laxus let out another chuckle and pulled his helmet on before starting the bike. With a rumble, the bike jetted off. Lucy lurched forward, and suddenly feared for her life. Her hands tightened on Laxus’s shoulders and her face bore a mask of terror. Laxus felt her vice-like grip and looked into his rearview mirror to see her fear stricken face. He slowed down considerably, the bike barely ambling by, and spoke over his shoulder, “Hold on tight. And don’t be scared. There’s no way either of us are falling off this bike, I promise.” He looked at Lucy through the mirror, and something in his grey-blue eyes gave Lucy a sense of ease. She lifted her hands off his shoulders and wrapped them around his chest. She leaned into his back and nodded.

With a smirk, Laxus took off again, urging the bike to move faster and faster. As the speed ticked up, Lucy’s grip around his chest tightened to the point that Laxus choked out, “Lucy. Can’t breathe.” His voice was muffled by the wind whistling by, but Lucy managed to hear him and loosened her hold. 

A terrifying 15 minutes later, Laxus turned off onto a dirt road. At the end of the road, Lucy saw a white house, identical to every other white house on the island, except in one respect. Large floor length windows lined every wall, and the sunlight glinting off of them made Lucy squint. Laxus brought his bike to a stop. Lucy tumbled off most ungracefully and removed her helmet. Laxus got off and kicked the stand into place. She handed him her helmet which he placed on the seat next to his.

“What is this place?” Lucy asked as Laxus unbuckled his camera bag and swung it over his shoulder.

“It’s a winery. They get their grapes from an island close by, and the wine is made here. They heard that I was on the island and got in touch with me a few days ago, asking if I’d take some photographs for their website.” Laxus explained as he and Lucy walked towards the glass door.

“They’re pretty small, and certainly cannot afford my rates, but I know the owner. Plus he promised a free wine tasting and lunch for me and anyone I brought along. He did specify that my plus one had to be a beautiful woman,” Laxus winked, laughing as Lucy lightly smacked his arm.

Walking through the door, Lucy was blessed with the delicious smell of wine swirling around her. The walls were covered in paintings and photographs of the island, and two large wine racks stood in a corner, housing multiple corked bottles.

Lucy hadn’t noticed the older man who walked in until Laxus cheerfully greeted him. 

“Maki!” He embraced the shorter man warmly, and they clapped each other on the back, as men do.

“Laxus, my boy. How are you?” Lucy got a look at this Greek man smiling up at Laxus.

He was significantly shorter than the blond, maybe Lucy’s height at most. He had a round, protruding belly and his white hair was thin at the crown. He sported an impressive mustache that did nothing to obscure his bright smile. His eyes twinkled and he had laugh lines decorating the corners of his eyes and lips. Lucy smiled warmly as a wave affection rushed over her. She instantly took a liking to this old man and his infectious smile.

“You brought along a beautiful woman like I specified!” the man looked past Laxus at Lucy, beckoning her over. Laxus threw Lucy a ‘I-wasn’t-lying’ look.

“Lucy, Makarov. Maki, this is Ms. Lucy Heartfilia,” Laxus gestured between the two of them.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you my dear,” Makarov said warmly. He held Lucy by her shoulders and pulled her close, air kissing both cheeks.

“The pleasure is mine,” Lucy replied warmly.

“Tell me, Lucy. What are you doing with a brute like this one?” Makarov laughed as Laxus threw him a glare.

“He’s an old friend,” Lucy maintained eye contact with Makarov, but reached over to place a hand on Laxus’s arm.

“Well I can tell you right now that you’re too good for him,” Makarov wagged his finger jovially before turning away. 

“Come on, boy. Let’s put you to work.” Laxus began following him. Lucy stood there awkwardly, not sure what to do. 

“You too, Miss Heartfilia. Join me for a glass of wine while he does his thing,” Makarov called to her. Lucy quickly scampered behind the pair. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so this was more of a transitional chapter, hence the lack of significant plot development.  
> The next chapter will delve deeper into the story!  
> Also yes, I am aware that my Makarov does not look like he does canonically, but his spirit is the same. I wanted to physically model him after the sweet, older Greek men I met on my travels there. Apologies if it threw you off!


	4. Chapter 4

Makarov led them out a backdoor that opened into a stunning garden.

“We brew and bottle our wine in the shed over there,” Makarov pointed to a structure a little ways away and off to the side. “We do our wine tasting there,” he pointed to the door from where they came. “And we have this garden because it’s beautiful. We organise lunches here sometimes, but mostly my wife and I like to sit here and enjoy the flowers. She’s visiting our children presently, so I sit here when I miss her.”

Lucy’s heart wrenched as Makarov spoke. She wanted to reach out and pull him into a hug, but settled for grasping his hand and giving it a squeeze.

“Come, my dear.” Makarov led her to a small wrought iron table with two chairs.

“Where’s my chair, old man?” Laxus questioned.

“I’ll get you a chair when you get me some pictures, boy,” Makarov scolded jokingly. Laxus shook his head and dumped his camera bag on a bench near the table. He pulled his equipment out and began to fiddle with it, adjusting it to his needs.

Makarov pulled a chair out for Lucy who took her place. The old man disappeared back through the doors, and quickly returned with a bottle of wine and two glasses. 

“I hope white is okay?” he asked.

“White is lovely, thank you.”

Lucy watched Laxus toy with his camera as Makarov poured the wine. He placed a glass in front of Lucy and sat down, bringing his own glass in front of him. 

“You have a lovely place, Makarov,” Lucy looked around the garden appreciatively. Laxus had started clicking photographs and was oblivious to them.

“Thank you. It had been in my wife’s family for years before we converted it into our winery. Business is slow, but steady. It is enough to keep me happy.”

Lucy admired his endless optimism. “You said your wife was visiting your kids? Where do they live?”

“They live in the capital. She goes there for a few weeks every summer to help with the kids. I used to go too, but I’ve grown too old to manage screaming children. I’d only get in her way.” A hint of sadness coloured the old man’s voice, but he continued smiling.

“Hey if it’s any consolation, you’re the most incredible old man I have met,” Lucy reached across the table and laid her hand over his. She felt so much love for this man, and she knew that it was because he reminded her of her father.

“I know I just met you, but being near you is making me so happy,” Lucy blurted out. “It’s just that… you’re so kind. And happy. Like my father. He’s alone at home, several miles away, and I miss him.”

Makarov turned his hand over to hold hers. “Anyone would be lucky to have a daughter like you, child. You’ve brought a smile to this old man’s face.” He squeezed her hand.

Tears welled in Lucy’s eyes, touched by his kindness. “You also make very good wine,” Lucy laughed shakily, taking a sip.

“I’m glad you like it!” Makarov said brightly, taking a sip himself.

They unclasped their hands and Lucy quickly swiped at her cheeks.

“Now, child. Do you want to tell me who broke your heart so cruelly that you felt the need to run and hide?” Makarov looked deeply into her eyes. He read her clearly, seeing through her bravado.

“How-- how did you know?” Her shock was apparent.

“I am an old man. I have seen many things, and felt many things. Heartbreak is no stranger. In fact, he and I are intimately familiar. And when you get to my age, you’ll be able to see it too. You’ll see it in the eyes of a young person who is pretending to be very brave, and you’ll see it in their smile that doesn’t shine as brightly as it should,” Makarov explained wisely.

Lucy turned to glance at Laxus, who had disappeared. She saw him entering the wine shed in the distance.

Drawing in a deep breath, Lucy told Makarov everything.

Another glass of wine and lots of crying later, Makarov finally spoke. “Lucy, I’m not going to offer you advice on how to handle your relationship with him. That is something that should only transpire between you and this boy. But I can tell you, this isn’t going to be the last time your heart breaks. It may not break for the same reason, but it will break again. It will break in small ways for the rest of your life. What is important is how you handle that. That idiot shattered you. Does this mean you hide away from the pain, or do you confront it, get it out of your system, and move on? You’re still clearly hurting, child. The longer you let him torture you like this, the longer it will take for you to recover. Moving on isn't easy, but it also isn't something that magically happens by itself. You need to consciously  _ want  _ to feel better, and then work towards it." While his words were straightforward, his tone was gentle. He reached over and briefly cupped Lucy's cheek.

Lucy didn't know what to say. His speech resonated with her intensely, and she implicitly trusted his words. 

"Thank you," she managed to croak out, before swiping at her cheeks to dry her tears. 

"Yes, it would be best if you didn't look like you had just cried. Laxus may hit me if he sees you like this," Makarov joked. 

Lucy laughed and dabbed her eyes again. 

"How do I look?" she asked, her voice steady. 

"Absolutely beautiful. And any man who does not appreciate it is not worthy," Makarov declared definitively. 

Their conversation turned to lighter topics, and Lucy told the old man about everything she planned to do on the island. Makarov peppered in commentary, and occasionally offered up a suggestion of his own. 

Finally, Laxus reappeared. 

“I’ve got some shots, Maki. Let me get them back to my computer and I’ll tweak them a bit before emailing them over to you. You do know how to open an email, don’t you?” Laxus teased the old man.

“Shut up, boy. But, thank you. I really appreciate you doing this.” Makarov stood up.

“Anything for you, Maki,” Laxus placed a hand on the old man’s shoulder.

“Okay now sit down. I promised you a wine tasting and that’s what you’re going to get.

Laxus put his camera carefully into his bag on the bench and replaced Makarov across from Lucy.

Makarov brought out multiple wines and glasses of water. Laxus and Lucy sampled the different wines, and while they enjoyed each one, the wine wasn’t what they were paying attention to. They both gazed at Makarov, entranced as he told them stories and folktales about the island, the wine, the food. He spoke of gods and warriors and beautiful damsels. Each wine was paired with a new story, and the couple drank in Makarov’s wisdom.

“Look at me, blabbering your ear off,” Makarov said, knowing full well that the two young adults would have listened in rapture even if he spoke for an additional six hours. “Let me get your lunch.” He placed the empty glasses and multitude of bottles on a tray that he expertly balanced in one hand.

“You’ll be joining us, won’t you?” Lucy asked.

“No, child. You both enjoy yourselves. I will retire to my study for a short while before coming back to see you both off.”

Lucy wanted to protest, but had a feeling his answer wouldn’t change. Makarov left with the tray and returned with two plates of food, two glasses, and a bottle of the wine that Lucy had earlier declared as her favourite. 

He placed the plates in front of them and poured their wine. 

“I’ll leave you both to it. Laxus, shout when you’re leaving.” Makarov smiled at the couple and walked inside.

“How do you know Makarov?” Lucy quickly asked.

“Well, this is actually my third visit to the island. The first two times were purely for pleasure, and they had been long holidays. I was on the island for about a couple months on both occasions. It was actually Maki’s wife who spotted me in the market on my first visit here. We got to talking, and she insisted I come home for lunch. I immediately fell in love with both of them, and the rest is history.” Laxus paused to reminisce about the first time he met Makarov. “Anyway, that’s why the magazine sent me here. They knew I was very familiar with the island, and would therefore get shots that another photographer wouldn’t have,” Laxus shrugged nonchalantly. 

“Anyway, what did you and Makarov talk about while I was working?” he asked.

“I was telling him about why I came to the island,” Lucy waited for Laxus’s reaction before elaborating.

“Oh?” was all he said, one eyebrow raised.

Lucy inhaled and steeled herself for a repeat detailing of her heartbreak.

“You remember Natsu, right?”

“Yeah, irritating little punk. You guys were friends or something, weren’t you?”

“Mmhmm. He was my first friend at University, and we ended up dating. Not long after Bacchus’s party, actually. Anyway, we went strong for our entire time at University. It was serious, what we had. It’s stupid now, I guess, but I always pictured myself marrying him. Well, right before graduation I showed up at his house and found him with another girl. It shattered me completely, and I needed to get away from everything to clear my head. So I ran. I ran to this tiny island to give myself a break, because everything in my life back home would bring back that one memory of entering his flat and seeing them together.” Surprisingly, Lucy made it through her entire monologue without crying. Maybe Makarov was onto something when he told her to confront her pain and then move on.

Laxus stayed silent even after she finished. They looked at each other, neither one saying anything. Finally, Laxus simply nodded, picked up his wine glass, and clinked it against Lucy’s.

“Well, fuck him. If you can’t hold on to a good thing, then you didn’t deserve it in the first place.” Lucy chuckled and took a swig of her wine. 

Lucy didn’t know if Laxus could feel it too, but her confession seemed to have lifted an invisible wall, and she felt herself relax significantly in his presence.

Eventually, they were ready to leave, much to Lucy’s chagrin. She’d have spent her entire holiday with Makarov and his wine if it were up to her. They walked into the hall through which they’d entered and Laxus shouted, “Maki! We’re heading out!” Lucy heard the patter of footsteps and Makarov appeared down a staircase. 

“It was so lovely having you both over.” Makarov pulled Lucy into a hug, “You’re a special girl, my child. Take care. I hope you’ll visit this old man again soon.” 

Lucy hugged him tightly in response, “Thank you so much for a wonderful afternoon, Makarov. You’ve made my holiday so special. I promise to come visit.”

They stepped away from each other, and Makarov turned to Laxus. “You come back too, okay? Not for work, but just to lend me an ear. I’ve missed you, son. And bring back some hard copies of your photographs next time, okay? I want to put more of your pictures up on the wall.”

“More?” Lucy interrupted unintentionally.

“Oh, yes. Laxus must not have wanted to brag, but every photograph on the walls is this man’s handiwork,” Makarov proudly clapped Laxus on his arm.

The two men continued to exchange a few words as Lucy walked along the walls, really noticing the photos for the first time. Each one was an exquisite work of art. Beautiful moments captured and framed in the most elegant way. Maybe she was biased, now that she knew her friend took these, but Lucy would wager that these photographs were some of the most gorgeous ones she’d ever seen.

“Hey, Heartfilia, you ready to go?” Laxus asked.

Lucy nodded, walking back to where he and Makarov stood. Lucy and Laxus took turns giving Makarov a parting hug before they left.

“Laxus?”

“Hmm?”

Lucy pulled her helmet on, and clasped it as she said “Your photographs are really very very beautiful. You have a real talent.”

Laxus had climbed onto his bike and was waiting for the blonde woman. 

“I know. That’s why I get paid as much as I do,” he laughed. Then, pushing arrogance aside, he added with utmost sincerity and humility, “thank you, though, Lucy. It means a lot to hear you say it. I’m proud of my photographs and it makes me happy that you like them.” 

Lucy was taken aback at his sincerity, blushing at his attitude change. She climbed onto his bike like he taught her to, and wrapped her arms around his chest.

“You good?”

Lucy nodded against his back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, we all need a Makarov in our lives.   
> As always, I would love your feedback! And spoiler alert, there's some lowkey LaLu steaminess up ahead!


	5. Chapter 5

After a harrowing bike ride back into the town centre, Laxus brought his bike to a halt. Lucy quickly clambered off, grateful to be on solid ground again. She rid herself of the helmet and thrust it into Laxus’s arms, as if being near it would mean getting back on that bike.

“Come on, Lucy,” Laxus groaned in exasperation. “It isn’t that bad.”

“Listen, you try sitting behind a maniac who insists on hurtling you at break-neck speed down a road on a dinky contraption that has only two wheels and no walls. It’s fucking terrifying.”

Laxus’s eyes grew wide with shock as he grabbed his chest in feigned hurt. “How dare you call my bike dinky? Take it back, hag!” he exclaimed, acting thoroughly offended. He pulled his camera bag off the back of his bike and pulled it onto his shoulder.

“I said what I said.” Though Lucy did feel a little bad about calling him a maniac. “But, I will add, if I had to sit on a dinky bike behind any maniac, I’d want that maniac to be you,” she said lightly.

“That’s more like it,” Laxus said slinging an arm across her shoulders and pulling her towards the action in the town square. Lucy was surprised by how comfortable she felt with his arm around her. She tentatively wrapped her arm around his waist, expecting him to look at her in surprise at the very least, but he had no reaction. The sun had just dipped below the horizon, and though the sky was still deep pink, it slowly darkened as nightfall set in. The pair walked into the town square with their arms around one another. 

Upon reaching their destination, Laxus slowed down.

“Give me a couple minutes, okay?” he asked. When Lucy nodded, he dropped his arm from her shoulder and walked off into a side street.

Lucy stood patiently where he left her and watched the scene unraveling in front of her. The square was bustling. Lights had been strung up, music was blaring, and people everywhere were talking, drinking, and dancing. Lucy could’ve sworn that there were more people in the town square right now than there had been on the entire island the day she had arrived. After about five minutes, Laxus reappeared, minus his camera bag.

“Sorry about that. I just wanted to keep my camera somewhere safe, so I dropped it off at a friend’s house. She lives just down that road,” he pointed at the street he’d come from.

_ She? _ Lucy wondered with mild curiosity. She immediately pictured a buxom, tanned, young brunette, with seductive almond shaped eyes and plump red lips.  _ Why should I even care? _ Lucy scolded herself looking back at the crowd.

“What is this?” she asked her resident tourist guide.

“In the summer they have a week of festivities to celebrate the island’s patron saint. There’s a big party on the first day and the last day, while the rest of the week passes by fairly uneventfully. There are a couple of important church events, but it’s mainly family dinners and quiet celebrations at home until the last day. People have come from all over to be with their families around this time.”

“It’s a pity Makarov’s wife couldn’t be here,” Lucy sighed, feeling bad for the old man.

“Yeah. But he’s used to it now. He’s learnt to enjoy the solitude.”

The pair stood with their backs against a wall as they watched the merriment. Music continued to float through the air, and several people congregated in the middle of the square, dancing in synchrony. 

“So what is the plan now, Laxus?” 

“We’re going to dance,” he said coolly, not meeting Lucy’s gaze.

“Huh? Wh-- what? No no, I can’t-- I can’t dance, Laxus!” Lucy protested.

Laxus drew in an exaggerated breath, and exhaled with a big sigh.

“Lucy, shut up, Trust me. You’re going to have fun.” He grabbed her hand, pulling her to where the crowd had gathered.

Lucy did like dancing, but that simple fact didn’t erase her embarrassment at having to do it in the middle of a group of strangers.

“Will you stop overthinking this?” It was as if the blond man could read her mind. “Everyone is drunk, everyone is dancing. There’s no need to pick this moment to get self-conscious.”

He did have a point. They neared the middle when Laxus suddenly changed direction, dragging her towards a bar.

“Shit, sorry, forgot. We need alcohol in us before we do this. And maybe some food,” he pointed out.

“Oh, thank heavens. Yes, alcohol is a good idea.” Lucy sighed in relief. She couldn’t imagine dancing in front of everyone, but she had no problem imagining herself  _ drunk _ and dancing in front of everyone. In her mind, drunk Lucy was another person entirely. 

The bar was packed when they walked in, but Laxus managed to find them a couple stools to sit on. Laxus caught the bartender’s eye who approached them.

“Ten shots of tequila and two beers, please,” Laxus ordered.

Lucy’s eyes nearly bugged out of her head. “Ten shots of tequila?! Are you crazy?!” she screeched above the cacophony.

“Yes, ten shots, because we need a healthy buzz before heading back out there. Don’t worry, six are for me and four are for you, given that I am considerably larger.”

“Okay, four shots isn’t so bad,” Lucy said, placated 

The bartender returned with their order, and the pair quickly downed their respective shots in record speed before chasing them with a swig of their beer. Lucy continued to cringe as the heat from the tequila made its way down her throat and into her chest. They sipped their beer slowly, giving the tequila time to kick in. Soon, a plate of skewered meat and flatbread was placed between them. Lucy hadn’t heard Laxus order, but then again, she couldn’t hear much at all over this noise. They finished their beers and ordered seconds as they nibbled on the food. Through dinner they attempted idle conversation, but the deafening noise made it impossible to hear the other person, and so they resorted to sitting in silence, watching the excitement.

Lucy had finished most of her second beer and could definitely feel a buzz when Laxus tapped her on her shoulder. She looked at him and saw him mouth something.

“What?” she shouted.

He repeated himself, but Lucy just couldn’t hear.

“What? I can’t hear you!” she screamed.

Laxus rolled his eyes and dipped his head towards her. His lips brushed against her ear, causing Lucy to involuntarily shiver.

“I asked if you were done and ready to head outside,” he spoke into her ear. 

Lucy turned her face to look at Laxus, and though he hadn’t sounded drunk, his enlarged pupils told her that his buzz had kicked in as well. She nodded and knocked back the remainder of her beer before setting the bottle down onto the counter. Laxus opened his wallet and fished out cash, dumping it on the bar top. Lucy didn’t bother fighting it, mainly because getting Laxus to hear her felt far too cumbersome.

He grabbed her hand and hauled her to her feet. They both swayed a little as they wove their way through the crowd. 

While the town square wasn't quiet by any means, it was significantly less noisy than the bar. Lively music surrounded them, backdropped by the low din of people talking. The crowd had thickened, with more bodies swaying to the melody. 

Laxus pulled Lucy towards the centre of the throng. With tequila coursing through her veins and the heady smell of summer in the air, Lucy felt herself slowly move to the music. She had her eyes closed, gently rocking her hips and shoulders from side to side as the music consumed her.

She opened her eyes to see Laxus watching her, his hands in his pockets and a small smile playing on the corners of his lips. When they made eye contact, he pulled his hands out of his pockets and placed them on Lucy’s swaying hips. She instinctively brought her hands up onto his shoulders and continued to gaze into his eyes. Laxus kept a respectful distance between their bodies as they moved to the music together, without breaking eye contact once. Lucy had a bashful smile on her face, no doubt influenced by the alcohol and Laxus’s lopsided smirk.

A voice broke through the music, and the pair turned to see a lady standing on a chair. She spoke excitedly in rapid Greek into a microphone, as the crowd cheered every few seconds. With a flourish of her hands, she ended her short speech, and the crowd broke out into loud applause and cheering.

Lucy looked up at Laxus in confusion. “What did she say?”

“No clue,” the man replied. “But it seems like we’re getting free booze,” he said, pointing at the line of people walking towards the square balancing trays loaded with plastic shot glasses. A young lady handed Lucy and Laxus a glass each. The pair raised their drinks before downing them. Lucy winced as the taste of licorice preceded the strong alcohol burn.

“Oh, man. What was that?” she asked Laxus.

“Traditional Greek liquor. Careful, this stuff is potent as hell,” Laxus cautioned, as Lucy was handed a second shot glass. Laxus accepted his second glass too, watching Lucy throw her shot back. He took his second shot before relieving Lucy of both her empty glasses. He spotted a bin at the edge of the crowd and walked towards it, leaving Lucy in the middle as she continued to undulate to the music. Lucy closed her eyes, feeling the bodies of other dancers brush up against hers. She started to sway more intensely, slowly turning in place as her buzz heightened and the music grew more sensual. 

She felt hands on her hips spinning her around, and she snapped her eyes open. Laxus was holding her much closer this time -- close enough that their chests were nearly touching. Lucy was able to wrap a forearm across Laxus’s shoulders while her other hand rested on his bicep. The pair moved sensuously to the music, swaying their hips in perfect synchrony. After dancing like this for a few minutes, Laxus pulled Lucy in closer. He placed one of his legs in between hers and wrapped an arm around her waist, with the other hand resting low on her back. Lucy tightened her hold on him as he leaned down to rest his forehead against hers. They stayed in this intimate tangle as song after song played. Maybe it was the alcohol, or possibly the inherent eroticism of their position, or it could have just been his gorgeous face, but Lucy felt prompted to lift her hand from his bicep and cup his jaw. She gazed deeply into the grey-blue eyes that never left hers. 

It was only when the crowd started to significantly thin that the pair broke apart. With some distance between them, Lucy’s face immediately flushed at the memory of their intimate embrace. 

“It’s getting late. Do you want to head back?” Laxus asked quietly.

“Oh. Yeah, that’s probably a good idea.” Lucy was a little sad at having to part ways, but was quickly consoled when she realised that she didn’t live close by and they’d be able to talk some more as he walked her home.

_ At least I hope he walks me home,  _ Lucy prayed.

Naturally, she was right. Ever the gentleman, Laxus gestured in the general direction of her house and they began strolling down the dimly lit path. At some point, Laxus reached down and grabbed her hand, intertwining their fingers. They talked mindlessly about everything and nothing at all, ambling down the narrow street. Every now and then Laxus would crack a joke with a straight face, and Lucy would burst out into peals of laughter. Other times, Lucy would say something ridiculous and would be on the receiving end of a Laxus Eye Roll. 

Though they walked slowly, Lucy felt like they had arrived at her front door all too soon. It was only then that she remembered. 

“Laxus! Your bike!” She mentally chastised herself for not realising it sooner.

“It’s not like I could’ve ridden it anyway. I’m still buzzed. It’ll be fine, though. Plus it’s a rental. I’ll pick it up in the morning. My camera is safe, and that’s really all that’s important,” he waved away her concerns.

“But how will you get back home?” she asked.

“I’ll walk. Obviously. The island’s so tiny that it won’t take me long anyway,” he assured her.

“Are you sure?” Clearly, Lucy’s worries hadn’t been abated. 

“Yes, Heartfilia. Don’t worry about me. I don’t live far from here, so I’ll be home in no time.”

“If you insist…” Lucy wasn’t entirely persuaded but decided not to push the matter. “Hey Laxus,” she continued, “I had an amazing day today. Truly.” She wrapped both arms around him and pressed herself to his chest in a tight hug. She felt Laxus wrap his arms around her and squeeze gently.

“I’m glad, Lucy. And I had a great time as well. You make for wonderful company.”

Lucy broke away from the hug and impulsively got up onto her tiptoes, giving Laxus a peck on his cheek. “Goodnight, Mr. Dreyer,” she said, blushing furiously at how forward she had been.

Laxus’s eyes softened and he said “Goodnight Ms. Heartfilia.”

He turned around to leave when Lucy called, “Hey Laxus. What time tomorrow?”

Laxus looked over his shoulder and chortled. “Same as today.” He smirked as he waved goodbye.

That night, Lucy lay in bed, playing the day over in her head. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had this much fun in one day. Lucy pulled a pillow over her face and squealed into it, kicking her legs in excitement. She continued to replay moments from the day over and over until she fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some mild LaLu steaminess yum! Also, when Lucy says that four shots isn't a lot, is it just me who feels like that? I know my tolerance is decent and four shot of tequila definitely wouldn't put me on the floor, but is that the norm? Finally, are you having fun? Is it progressing too slowly, or do you like the pace? I want their relationship to build gradually, especially since she's just gone through a breakup, but let me know what you think!


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning, Lucy decided to beat Laxus to the punch and was waiting on her porch, fully dressed, by 10:50. She was wearing a flowing, red cotton skirt that brushed the tops of her feet with a black halter crop top that exposed an inch or two of midriff. She kept her makeup and jewelry simple, emulating the gold earrings and red lip from yesterday. 

As she waited, she hummed to herself absent-mindedly, keeping an eye out for the torture device that Laxus called a bike. Much to her surprise, Laxus arrived within a few minutes behind the wheel of a beautiful vintage car. Lucy skipped up the passenger side and leaned in through the window.

“How many vehicles do you have tucked away?” she asked in amusement.

“Five on every island in the Mediterranean,” he answered with a deadpan expression.

Lucy pulled the door open and sat down, heaving a sigh of relief. She had not been looking forward to getting onto his bike. She looked over at Laxus, only just taking in what he was wearing. He had on a red linen shirt, unbuttoned at the top like yesterday, with a pair of black trousers.

Lucy’s eyes widened in excitement. “Laxus!” she slapped his shoulder. “We match!” Lucy giggled at the coincidence.

Laxus threw his head back against the headrest and groaned, “Ughh. Now we’re going to look like one of  _ those _ couples.”

Lucy’s heart skipped a beat at his insinuation that they were a couple.

“That’s it. You’re gonna have to go change, Lucy,” Laxus turned his head to look at her. His tone was serious, but his eyes glinted in amusement.

“Shut up,” Lucy said, smacking his arm. “So, where are we headed today?” she continued.

“It’s a secret,” Laxus said plainly, putting the car into drive.

One hand left the wheel as he picked up his phone from its place on the dashboard and fiddled with it for a moment. He quickly returned it to its position, and turned up the volume knob.

Music blasted through the speakers, loud enough to be heard clearly over the sound of the wind whipping through the open windows.

Lucy’s hair was blowing everywhere before she yanked the hair tie off her wrist and knotted her hair into a bun at the nape of her neck. A few loose strands continued to dance around her face, but she chose to ignore them. She quickly recognised the song Laxus was playing and began singing along.

“What?!” Laxus yelled, throwing her a very confused look. “You know this song?!” His shock only grew as Lucy smiled and continued to sing along.

“You don’t get it Lucy,  _ no one _ I know has heard of these guys. Not  _ one. Single. Person, _ ” Laxus dramatically punctuated his sentence.

“You’re not the only person alive with an interest in music, you know?” Lucy said exasperatedly. “Literally anyone who gives a shit about cool music has heard of these guys, so if no one you know has listened to them, then my friend, you’re hanging out with the wrong kind of people.” Lucy shrugged her shoulders and continued to sing along.

Laxus stared at her in awe for another moment before remembering that he was driving and had to look at the road. The drive was fairly uneventful, since it was a constant cycle of an obscure song playing, Lucy singing along, Laxus being shocked, Lucy telling him to get over himself.

“For most people, you may have an incredibly niche taste in music, but for someone who  _ really _ enjoys this stuff, you’re pretty basic,” Lucy casually mentioned.

Laxus bristled at being called basic and after giving Lucy an earful, turned the volume up higher to drown her out. Lucy chuckled to herself, as she looked out of the window at the scenery. She was beginning to realise that the “tiny” island wasn’t so tiny after all. Laxus seemed to be driving around it, to end up on the other side. Lucy saw a small hill that hadn’t been visible from where she lived. She had an inkling that, if she had paid attention, she may have seen a part of it from the town square last night. 

As Laxus drove towards the hill, a whole new part of town opened up. Several restaurants, bars, shops, and boutiques decorated the area.

“Holy shit, I didn’t realise the island was this exciting!” Lucy exclaimed.

“It’s not a big tourist spot, but they get a decent crowd in the summers. You’ll see in a couple weeks. People will be flocking to the island. This is their primary income, after all,” Laxus explained. “You’ve only been here a few days. Left to your own devices, you’d have been pointed in this direction eventually. While the town centre holds historic value, a majority of the nightlife is here at the back of the island.”

Laxus pulled into a parking spot and turned off the engine. The pair left the car, and Laxus then offered Lucy his arm. She wrapped her arm around his bicep like she had done on the first day they met, and she allowed Laxus to lead her towards the thriving area. 

The camera bag slung over Laxus’s shoulder reminded her. “So, the woman you left your camera with…?” Lucy trailed off, leaving the question open-ended.

“What about her?” Laxus asked in response.

“Who is she?” Lucy hoped her voice was as casual and nonchalant as she thought it to be.

“Why do you ask, Heartfilia? Jealous?” Laxus looked at her with a lopsided smirk and a raised eyebrow.

“No. Not at all. Just curious.” By this point Lucy was  _ praying _ that she didn’t sound anything more than casually inquisitive.

“Porlyusica is a sixty-three year old woman who makes the most divine little pastries at a bakery in the town square. And while I’m sure she’d have no problem sleeping with me, I haven’t found it in myself to grant her that wish just yet.” Laxus looked down at Lucy with a reassuring, if somewhat cocky, gaze. “Though, I will say, she is still quite a babe,” Laxus joked, gently jabbing Lucy in the side with his elbow.

A weight left Lucy’s chest, which annoyed her further.  _ There shouldn’t have been a weight in the first place! Who Laxus chooses to interact with is his business! _ Lucy internally reprimanded herself.

“Why are you friends with only old people?” Lucy asked teasingly. 

"Am not. I just choose to be around more old people because they aren't constantly trying to sleep with me," Laxus justified haughtily. 

"Quite the ladies man, aren't you?" Lucy continued teasing. 

"Men want to sleep with me too, sweetheart," he clarified. 

"Well now I really feel honoured to be blessed with a moment of your time." Lucy was milking the situation. 

"And I'm honoured that you chose to spend your day with me," all joking left Laxus's voice and he looked down at the young woman, a warmth emanating from his eyes. 

They walked arm in arm up a series of short staircases and sloping streets, passing multiple tiny shops and restaurants along the way. Lucy soon realised that they were walking up the hill at a gentle incline. She stopped every now and then to whip out her phone camera and take photographs of the view. Laxus pulled his camera out and began taking photographs of his own. Eventually, they crested the top of the hill. A couple of restaurants and low walls decorated the hilltop, but the thing that caught Lucy’s attention was the small structure with a prominent signboard that read “Museum”.

“Is that the secret place you brought me to?” Lucy asked excitedly, pointing at the museum.

With Laxus’s nod of affirmation, Lucy ran up to the ticket booth and asked for two passes. Laxus followed and quickly laid down the cash before she could protest, but she didn’t even seem to notice.

Lucy grabbed the passes off the counter and walked very quickly towards the entrance, with Laxus on her tail. When they entered the museum, Lucy looked around in awe. It was a very small space, but photographs and artifacts adorned every square inch. Lucy walked through the museum slowly, pausing at every display and carefully reading the inscription below it. She admired photographs of wall art painted onto the sides of crumbling Grecian homes that had barely begun to fade, despite being centuries old. She looked at stone busts of beautiful men and women, with their perfect cheekbones and angular noses. She closely observed chipped vases that had geometric designs wrapping around them. 

Laxus didn’t interrupt her as she slowly worked her way through the small museum. He briefly noted with some amusement that while most people would have been in and out in 20 minutes, Lucy had spent an hour really taking everything in.

When they were done, Lucy walked into the adjoining gift shop and bought herself a postcard of a photograph that she particularly liked.

“Don’t tell me, you took this photograph too, didn’t you?” she asked Laxus, completely serious.

Laxus laughed, “I wish. No, this wasn’t me.” He pointed to the bottom of the postcard that bore the actual photographer’s name in fineprint.

“The museum was lovely. Thank you for bringing me here.”

“Don’t mention it,” Laxus replied as Lucy wrapped her hand around his arm once more.

“It’s sad,” he continued. “The island is actually a major historical site, but most of the artifacts they found here were taken to the big museum in the capital. Even the wall art that they had photographs of? Those entire walls were excavated and taken to the capital. That tiny museum is all that the island has left.”

Lucy looked at Laxus, admiring his intimate knowledge of the island. The pair walked towards one of the low walls and sat there. They turned sideways to face each other, and from where they were sitting, they could now turn their heads and also see the sea. The two sat in comfortable silence, watching the gentle waves and enjoying the breeze on their faces. 

“Give me one minute,” Lucy said as she abruptly stood up. Laxus watched as she walked into a nearby restaurant before emerging with two mugs of beer.

“How did you convince them to let you bring it outside? They are sticklers for only drinking inside the restaurant,” Laxus questioned in awe as he took a mug from the blonde woman’s hand.

Lucy sat down, faced Laxus, and then, putting on her best flirty voice, she placed a hand on Laxus’s bicep. “Would you be okay if I sat outside with the beer? It’s such a lovely day today. I promise to be careful, sir,” she batted her lashes, looking at Laxus coquettishly.

“Damn, Lucy. If you pulled this on the man inside I better run in and check on him. He’s probably dead from a heart attack at this point,” Laxus swallowed audibly, his eyes wide with shock as he watched the gorgeous woman consciously turn on her sex appeal. “Do you do this to all men? Someone ought to stick a warning label on your forehead. “Not Good For The Hearts of Man”” Laxus used his hands to indicate the label. 

“Oh, how you flatter me, Mr. Dreyer,” Lucy shook her head and giggled. 

They drank their beer as Lucy told Laxus of interesting things that had happened on campus since he graduated. She narrated drunken tales from parties and gossip surrounding professors. In turn, Laxus told her about his adventures and the places he’d been to. Lucy went back into the restaurant twice more to flirt with the bartender and bring beer outside. At some point, they strolled into the restaurant together and ordered food that Lucy paid for, before returning to the wall, now armed with cones of ice cream. 

Once the pair was satiated, Laxus suggested heading back to the car. That’s when Lucy noticed the sun beginning its descent into the ocean. 

_ Pretty much another full day with Laxus _ , Lucy sighed.  _ And yet, I’m not bored. I could spend time with him for hours on end and still feel like I haven’t had enough. _

“Hey Lucy?” Laxus called, pulling her from her train of thought. “Please tell me if I’m overstepping… but how do you feel about Natsu nowadays? Do you still miss him?”

Lucy considered his question for a moment before answering, “I don’t think I ever  _ missed _ him. I was so hurt by what he had done that I never felt bad he wasn’t in my life anymore. I don’t think I can yearn for someone that was so cruel, irrespective of whether or not he felt sorry after. Do I wish he hadn't done what he did and broken my heart like that? Yes. But now that he has, I'm glad he's out of my life. To answer your question more generally though, I am not as sad as I had been. Not even close. Actually, it’s funny. I haven’t even thought about him since our conversation yesterday. I’m sure I’ll have waves of sadness every now and then as memories of him strike me, but I think I can confidently say I’m well on my way to moving on,” she said triumphantly.

“Good, I’m glad,” was the only response she got, but then Laxus pulled her in close and draped his arm across her bare shoulders. 

When they climbed into the car, Lucy connected her phone to the car’s audio system. She pressed play on a song that earned her an appreciative smile from Laxus. He put the car into drive and pulled out of the parking lot. The wind continued to whip through the car sending tiny shivers through Lucy. She sang along loudly as Laxus coasted down the seafront road.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a couple more chapters written out and I'm so happy with where everything is!!! It's uphill from here, folks! As always, please leave your feedback! I love hearing from everyone, and it helps me really milestone how my story is progressing!  
> Also, this story is also being cross-posted on FF, in case you prefer reading over there! It's under the user Persephoneorchids.


	7. Chapter 7

As they drove back towards the town centre, Laxus asked, "So, what do you want to do now? I can drive you back home if you want, or we can head to mine, drop my camera off, and get some dinner at the pier. I'll swing by the rental place and return the car too." 

"Sounds good. I'm in no rush to get back home," Lucy was looking out of the window and letting the breeze ruffle her hair as she replied. 

Laxus wove through the streets effortlessly, not relying on external directions at any point. He pulled up in front of a house similar to Lucy's, minus her lovely porch. 

"Come in. I'll just be a minute," Laxus called as he got out of the car. 

Lucy followed him inside and noted that, while he didn't have her porch, his house was at least double the size of her quaint one. 

"Help yourself to water in the kitchen," Laxus pointed in its direction as he headed through a door into what Lucy assumed was his bedroom. Once in the kitchen, she found water bottles on the counter. She grabbed one and thirstily took several sips. Before she could cap the bottle, Laxus walked in and took the bottle from her hands, swallowing a few large gulps. He held the bottle in front of her again with a questioning look, silently asking if she wanted more. When Lucy shook her head he recapped the bottle, put it down on the counter, and walked to the front door. 

"Nice place you got," Lucy commented as they exited his house and he locked up. 

"Thanks. You should come by one evening. I'll cook you dinner," he offered. 

"My days are currently at your mercy, tour guide. Just give me the day and time, and I'll be there," she laughed. 

"Speaking of, I need to do a bit of work tomorrow. Just editing photos, replying to emails, sending out some stuff, the usual. So you got the first half of the day to yourself, but I'll be by to pick you up at around 5 in the evening, so don't plan anything for after that," he let her know.

Lucy felt a pang of disappointment, but didn’t let it colour her features. She simply nodded, getting into the car. 

“Alright. Any suggestions on what I can do with my day?” she asked.

“Have you checked out the old ruins?”

“Yep, the day I bumped into you.”

“Hmm, okay. You know where we were today? So a little before you get to the top, there’s this small cafe. They have a ton of books there, and it’s always quiet. It overlooks the sea and is a great place to go if you want some undisturbed quiet time, maybe even to write or something. Otherwise, go to the pier and ask anyone for directions to the gateway. It’s another old structure with a ton of Greek myth behind it. There are a few other ruins around it, so it makes for good exploration. Plus the view is great. Actually I’ll just point it out to you when we get there.” Laxus seemed to be a walking-talking guide book.

Lucy no longer felt disappointed that he wouldn’t be there, her mind churning with ideas for her alone day tomorrow.

Laxus drove into a garage and the pair left the vehicle. He handed the keys over to the garage owner and made light conversation as Lucy politely waited. Waving goodbye to the man, Laxus put his arm around Lucy and they began walking to the pier. 

Once there, Laxus turned Lucy to the right and pointed at a rectangular stone archway that seemed to rise out of the sea. Lucy had noticed it briefly the last time she was at the pier, but assumed that it was a ferry ride away.

“Won’t I need to take a boat to get there?” she asked.

“Nah, it just looks like it’s in the middle of the sea. If you go along this side of the pier, it’ll lead to the gateway. It’s just slightly lower than we are, so it makes it difficult to see the ground. Also you may want to cycle, if you’re going there. It is a little bit of a long walk.”

Lucy noticed a few cycle rental shops, all with their shutters down. When the pair turned to face the side with all the restaurants, they were met with a similar sight. Not one restaurant was open, and the pier looked fairly deserted. A few tourists hung around, and one man who looked like a local was pushing a cart full of assorted fried food.

The couple walked up to him and Laxus asked why everything was shut.

“Big summer storm,” the man said, pointing at the darkening horizon. “Everyone went home early. You should also,” he advised.

Lucy quickly picked out a few things she wanted and the man put them into a paper bag before pushing his cart along, swiftly trying to get back home before the storm set in. The pair began to dig into the bag, watching as the storm clouds drew nearer. 

Laxus turned to her, “You think this is a false alarm? Should we find a bench and risk it?” Between the two of them wolfing down the fried food the bag was quickly empty. Lucy looked up at him to respond when a giant drop fell on her cheek. Laxus wiped it away as Lucy declared, “Nope, not a false alarm. Let’s get out of here.” 

They began walking quickly, but very soon that one drop devolved into a raging downpour. The pair were drenched by the time they showed up on Lucy’s doorstep. She unlocked the door and they hurried in, trailing water as they made a beeline for the bathroom. Lucy pulled two towels off the rack and handed one to Laxus. They stood in her small bathroom violently drying themselves off. No longer dripping water, they looked at each other, both with hair sticking out in odd directions and damp clothes that clung to them in places. In perfect unison, the pair started laughing uncontrollably until they were leaning against opposite walls clutching their sides. They left the bathroom, now more dry than wet as the balmy summer air sucked moisture off their skin. The storm did little to cool the place down, given how warm it had been in the days passed. 

“Are you still hungry?” she asked Laxus.

“Nah, I’m good. I actually wanted to sit on your porch and watch the storm,” he said, with the implied question asking if she’d join him. A sloping tiled roof protected the entirety of the porch, so Lucy wasn’t worried about getting drenched again. 

She smiled, “Go make yourself comfortable. I’ll bring us some coffee.”

“Black, no sugar,” Laxus replied appreciatively as he walked out of the front door. Lucy made them a mug each and went outside, expecting to find the blond man sitting on the chair. 

Instead, he was sitting on the top step of the porch, legs placed on the step below. He hadn’t noticed Lucy yet, as he looked up at the sky in rapture. Lucy walked up to him and said, “Bet you wish you had your camera now, huh?”

He looked at her and accepted the coffee mug. “Kind of. But I’m more grateful I didn’t, given how drenched we got. There’s no way my equipment would have survived it.” 

Lucy continued to stand next to him for a couple seconds, furiously debating in her head where she should sit. She decided that she was going to be brave and walked down the porch steps before placing herself one step down between Laxus’s knees. The occasional raindrop hit her foot, but she didn’t mind. Laxus didn’t react, and Lucy joined him in watching the summer storm in silence. 

Lightning illuminated the sky, dancing across the night in jagged lines. Lucy watched in fascination as everything would shine under bright white light for a split second before collapsing back into inky darkness. When a particularly big burst of lightning was followed by a deafening clap of thunder, Lucy jolted slightly. Instantly, Laxus’s arms went around her shoulders holding her close to him. They sat in silence for a long time, before Lucy stood up and went back in, grabbing both empty mugs. She deposited them in the sink and retrieved a thin blanket from her bedroom. 

She draped the blanket over Laxus’s shoulders and sat down between his knees again. Laxus grabbed either corner of the blanket and brought it with him as he wrapped his arms back around Lucy’s shoulders, enveloping both of them in a warm cocoon. 

Lucy noticed faint music playing and realised that Laxus must have put some on when she had been inside. She leaned back into him and rested her head on his chest. He dipped his head down and propped his chin on her crown. 

Neither one felt the need to say anything. Watching the lightning as soft music played was more than enough. In fact, it was the best evening spent with another person that Lucy could remember. They broke the silence to make an off-hand comment, retell a short anecdote, or voice a sudden thought that occurred to them, but otherwise they sat in comfortable silence. Lucy could feel Laxus’s chest move as he breathed and she unconsciously matched her breath to his. 

It was past midnight when the rain finally slowed, and then stopped. The occasional flash of lightning would crack through the sky, but soon enough, even that stilled. Everything became deathly quiet, save for the soft music emanating from Laxus’s phone and the sound of waves crashing against the shore. They sat perfectly still for several more minutes, neither one wanting to be the first person to break this position. Grudgingly, however, Laxus eventually stood up. He folded the blanket into a haphazard square and placed it on the chair behind him, before giving Lucy a hand and hoisting her up.

“I should go. It’s late.” His voice was barely a whisper.

“Oh.” Her face fell slightly.

_ Don’t go. Stay. Spend the night,  _ Lucy wanted to say, but she wasn’t sure if she should.

“Yeah. I had a good time today,” Laxus said, stepping closer to Lucy.

“Goodnight, beautiful. I’ll see you tomorrow.” And with that Laxus leaned down and brushed his lips against Lucy’s. It was so soft, and so fleeting, that it could hardly even qualify as a peck, but it left Lucy stunned nonetheless.

He smiled at her before turning around and walking away.

“Goodnight,” she croaked after him, unsure if he heard.

She stood on her front porch in a daze as her fingers touched her lips. She could still feel the ghost of his kiss on them. 

It wasn’t yet love, but the blond man was starting to make Lucy feel something that she thought she had renounced. Lucy went to bed that night with a blush staining her cheeks and her stomach fluttering deliciously. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little teasy kiss (??) thrown in there to get you excited for what's in store!! I cannot wait for you guys to read it! Please leave your kind words of support so I am inspired to type it out and edit it at double speed!


	8. Chapter 8

The next morning Lucy woke up faced with a tough decision. She couldn’t decide whether she wanted to go see the gateway or visit the little cafe on the hill. She sat in bed, pondering her options before finally settling on the cafe.

_ I’ve had a couple of high octane days, so a little quiet reading time sounds perfect _ , she reasoned. 

She lounged around her house, slowly moving through her morning routine of coffee, shower, breakfast, before jumping back into bed to scroll through her phone and talk to her father. Once ready to mobilise, Lucy pulled on a pair of cotton shorts and a tank top, tying her hair into a high pony. She left her house, armed with a backpack that housed a book, her laptop, cellphone, wallet, and a water bottle. She locked up behind her and stood on her porch. A flash of last night’s kiss brought a pink tinge to her cheeks. She smiled as she strolled along the cobbled path, sneakers making a cheerful pattering sound against the ground. She had walked a few steps before realising she had no idea how to get to the hill. She contemplated pulling out her phone and dialing Laxus, who had very kindly put his number in the day they met, before she remembered that he was busy. Ever the self-sufficient woman, she walked to the town square and enquired at a restaurant how she was to get to the hill. 

The young man behind the counter told her that a shuttle bus would pull up into the square in about 10 minutes, and it would take her straight to the bottom of the hill. He directed her towards a bench on the main road, next to which stood a small signpost with a picture of a bus. As he said, a small bus halted in front of the bench a few minutes later and Lucy clambered on, along with a few other tourists. She smiled at them politely as they all claimed their seats.

The shuttle ride ended up being slow and uneventful. Lucy missed having Laxus around. When she got off the bus her spirits were low, having felt entirely uninspired on the drive over. Her only source of entertainment had been the jovial bickering of the other tourists, all of whom were paired off. 

Lucy glanced up at the hill, ready to make her climb when a man approached her, dragging a donkey in tow. He would have been maybe a year or two older than Lucy and was deeply tan.

“Donkey ride to the top, madam?” Lucy thought about refusing before a little voice in her head told her to do it.

“Sure, but I don’t have to go all the way to the top. There’s a small, quiet cafe along the way? With lots of books?” She asked the man.

“Yes, I know the one. I will take you there. Come on,” he patted the saddle. They negotiated the price for the ride and soon Lucy sat atop the donkey as the tanned man led it up the hill.

“What’s your name?” she asked him.

“Romeo. And yours?” 

“Lucy.”

“It’s lovely to meet you, Ms. Lucy,” Romeo said.

The warmth and hospitality of every person she met didn’t fail to impress the hell out of the blonde woman.

“How come you’re visiting Greece?” he asked Lucy.

“I badly needed a holiday,” Lucy laughed.

“And you came alone?” he continued his line of questioning.

Lucy didn’t know how to answer this one. While she had technically come by herself, she had been spending most of her day with Laxus. It had almost started to feel like they were vacationing on the island together.

Lucy decided to keep it as simple as possible. “I came by myself, but I met an old friend, so I spend most of my day with him now,” Lucy said.

“Where is he now?” Romeo was a most inquisitive young man, though Lucy didn’t mind. It felt nice to have someone to talk to after her boring bus ride.

“He had some work to do today, so I’m exploring the island by myself!” she responded brightly.

“Very good, Miss. You will have fun.”

Lucy turned the tables and began questioning Romeo. She learned that he was actually younger than she was. He went to university in the capital, but was home for the summer. He took people on donkey rides, while his parents ran a small boutique shop in the town centre. Lucy promised Romeo that she’d try and stop by there the next time she was in the square. 

Soon they reached the cafe that Laxus had told her about, and Lucy bid the young man adieu. The cafe was everything Laxus had promised and more. Entirely open and facing the sea, a cool draft blew through the place. A side wall was lined with books while quaint wooden tables and chairs were scattered around. Lucy sat at a table closest to the sea view, and ordered herself a coffee. 

She dug her laptop out of her bag, wanting to attempt some writing, but the sound of the waves kept drawing her focus. Deciding that the day was too beautiful to be spent with her face in a screen, she put her laptop away and chose to read instead. She only somewhat focused on the pages as her attention was pulled to the way the sunlight gleamed on the water’s surface, or the pristine white clouds that lazily drifted across the bluest blue sky imaginable. She looked up from the page every few words to admire the domed roofs or the people milling about. With every inhale she felt herself relax further. It was almost as if she could smell the warm sunlight that made everything look wildly saturated in gorgeous colours. Sitting there, Lucy was convinced that this island was, by far, the most beautiful place she’d been to. A waiter brought her her food and a glass of wine after Lucy finished her coffee, and she stayed at the restaurant for over a couple hours, slowly sipping on her wine and reading distractedly. 

When she finally willed herself to get up, she walked around the winding streets, popping into boutiques and examining the merchandise. She picked up a dress, some jewelry, and a book about Greek myths. Finally, she walked down to where the shuttle bus would arrive, ready to go home and get dressed for when Laxus picked her up.

Once home, Lucy went through the confusing routine of choosing what to wear. She assumed that, since he was picking her up at 5, they’d be going somewhere for dinner.

_ Good, that narrows down my options _ , she thought to herself joyfully.

Finally settling on a black, floor length, strappy, backless number, she jumped in the shower for a quick rinse and puffed on some simple makeup. She decorated her throat and wrist with jewelry and clasped on pretty earrings. Lucy gave herself a once over in the mirror, thoroughly pleased with what she saw. 

Right on time, she heard a knock on her door. She rushed to it, flinging it open to proudly display her sartorial handiwork. 

And then her jaw dropped.

Laxus stood there in an unbuttoned shirt and board shorts, sunglasses perched on the top of his head.

“What the hell are you wearing?!” Lucy screeched.

“I should be asking you that,” he replied, glancing up and down her body appreciatively. “Don’t get me wrong,” he said, pushing past her and walking into the house, “you look absolutely stunning. Like, seriously. You are so beautiful. But we’re going to the beach, dummy. I doubt you’d be comfortable in that.”

Lucy growled as her eyebrows knitted together. “I spent an  _ hour _ on this look!” she shouted angrily. “You never tell me where we’re going, how did you expect me to know I had to dress for the beach?!” she continued. Laxus sat on the couch and watched her mini-meltdown. 

“Give me two minutes, I’m going to go change,” she grumbled, stomping off into the bedroom as she continued to mumble under her breath. 

Laxus laughed, making himself comfortable.

Once in the sanctuary of her bedroom, she sadly removed her jewelry and slipped off her dress. She got rid of any makeup that wasn’t waterproof, and then pulled a pretty, gray bikini out of her closet. It had a plunging neckline and flimsy strings that held it together. Pulling it on, Lucy noted that it showed off most of her toned body, including some provocative side-boob and some butt. She didn’t care. Still feeling the sting of not being able to wear her nice dress, she decided that a little sexy swimsuit action was what she deserved. She grabbed a blue wrap-around skirt, and secured it around her waist before slipping her feet into flip flops and leaving her bedroom.

Lucy stood a few feet in front of Laxus and watched him check her out. Feeling proud of herself, she continued to stand and pose, letting him eye her body several times over before he got up and walked towards her. He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her into him, bending to speak into her ear.

“Well, shit, Heartfilia. Who knew you cleaned up this good?” he murmured huskily. Lucy felt sure that he was about to kiss her again, but instead he pulled away and steered her out the front door.

It had only been when Laxus had his face inches from hers that Lucy realised that her grey-blue get up matched his eyes perfectly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay tbh I had mixed feelings about this chapter. I don't really like the first half, but I do like the second half. I thought about omitting the first half all together and throwing in a couple cursory lines that skimmed over Lucy's alone day, but it was important to me to write out what she did with her time. We haven't really seen her by herself, so I wanted to highlight that a little. Admittedly, I'm not too proud of how it turned out, but I think the second part makes up for it! There are a couple of really fun chapters coming up, so please stick around!


	9. Chapter 9

The same vintage car from the day before was parked outside Lucy’s house. She had managed to quickly snag a book and her phone off the counter before Laxus had ushered her out the door. He opened the passenger side door for her before rounding the car and getting in. Once comfortably cruising down the road, they got to talking about their respective days. Lucy thanked Laxus for his recommendation and told him all about Romeo, the donkey, the boring bus, and the gorgeous view. Laxus’s day had been far less eventful as he spent it catching up on work. 

“Aren’t you not working?” she asked, remembering that he had finished the work for the magazine.

“I’m rarely not working. People ask for photographs, and if they can pay, I comply. I’m constantly collecting a roster of shots to sell to various websites and magazines. After taking the photographs I need to select the best one, then edit it on my computer to colour correct and adjust the tones and contrasts, then render a high-quality image before sending it out. Invariably, the client will email back asking for some tweaks, and so I gotta re-edit it, sometimes twice or thrice, before they’re happy. It isn’t necessarily very hard, not like if I was a surgeon or something, but it is time intensive.”

Lucy nodded, feeling a new found sense of appreciation for what he did. They fell back into their comfortable silence as they listened to Laxus’s music. Lucy was itching to ask him about the kiss, but every time her brain tried to form a sentence, she couldn’t think of what to say. 

Looking outside the window, Lucy assumed that they weren’t going to the beach that she had visited. Eventually, Laxus turned the car off the road and onto a small sandy path, driving a little further before bringing it to a halt and turning off the engine. Lucy could see that the sandy path opened up into a narrow curved cove. They got out of the car and Laxus opened the back door, pulling out a basket, an icebox, and a blanket. 

“Picnic?” Lucy asked excitedly.

Laxus raised both eyebrows with a smirk, as walked up next to Lucy. She stretched her hand out, offering to help carry something, and he handed her the blanket. They walked out onto the cove and Lucy gasped as she looked around. The beach, while a little narrow, had soft yellow sand, and the water brushing up onto the shore was a clear, light blue. The occasional shell dotted the soft landscape, and a few large rocks created a pseudo barrier behind them. There were two other people in the water, and Lucy noticed their belongings neatly folded several feet away from where she stood, but besides them, the beach was empty.

“There’s barely anyone here,” she noted, flummoxed at why a place this beautiful wasn’t thronging with people.

“One, it’s right off the road and two, the beach is really narrow, so bars and restaurants weren’t able to set up shop here. The tourists congregate around where the action is, and this place doesn’t fit the bill. Locals come here sometimes to swim,” he gestured at the two figures in the water, “and there’s the occasional visitor, like myself, inquisitive enough to come here, even though it means no easy access to food and booze,” he explained as he opened up the blanket and placed it onto the sand. He plopped down and dragged the basket and icebox close to him.

“But don’t you worry, I got us covered.” He showcased the contents of both to Lucy. She felt a pull of affection as she saw carefully packed sandwiches and chips, as well as several beers.

She sat down next to him and pressed a kiss onto his cheek. “You’re a gem of a man,” she said happily.

“So I’ve been told,” he smirked in response. 

Laxus pulled two beers out, tossing one to Lucy. They popped the tabs, and Lucy's promptly fizzed over drenching her thighs. She yelped, quickly bringing the beer to her lips and gulping before any more spilled over the lip. Laxus was no help at all as he leaned back on his elbows and stretched his legs out while laughing at the blonde woman. Lucy downed her beer in record speed before quickly standing up and discarding her skirt, eager to wash off the stickiness from the beer. 

She ran into the sea, but not before making Laxus promise to join her as soon as he finished his drink. As she waded in, she made eye contact with the other couple in the water. She waved at them with a smile, and they waved back before returning their attention to each other. Lucy walked in until she was chest deep, and she sighed in contentment. The water was the perfect temperature -- cool enough to feel glorious against the hot sun, but warm enough to not make one's muscles ache or teeth chatter. Lucy gazed out to the horizon as the water gently lapped against her chest. All thoughts slowly emptied out of her head and she felt perfectly serene. When she heard the noise of soft splashing she knew Laxus was walking up to her. He came up behind her and slipped his arms around her waist, pulling her frame into his. Lucy felt heat rise to her cheeks as his bare chest caressed her back. 

“I’ve been meaning to ask,” he interrupted the silence, “what’s this?” He touched his finger to her side, on her ribcage right under her left breast. Her breath hitched as he stroked her tattoo with his thumb.

“It’s a constellation. Aquarius. My mother was an Aquarius. She passed away when I was little,” Lucy finished a little sadly.

“I’m sorry,” Laxus whispered, dropping his hand.

“No, it’s okay. I was so young that I barely remember her, but my dad’s told me all these lovely stories about her. Really, I’m okay,” she assured, looking up at him over her shoulder.

Laxus smiled at her, and then they both resumed gazing out to the horizon, Lucy tucked into Laxus’s chest. 

Suddenly, Laxus tightened his hold around Lucy’s waist before spinning her around and depositing her into the water with a splash. Lucy stood up with a yell, and then quickly clamped her hand over her mouth, not wanting to disturb the other couple. She looked around but couldn’t see them anymore, and then noticed their little pile of belongings was missing.

_ They must have left when I wasn’t paying attention _ , she figured. The two of them had the entire beach to themselves. Now unafraid of causing a commotion, Lucy got an evil glint in her eye. As Laxus stood laughing at her, she sent a large splash of water straight into his face.

His laughter immediately ceased. “Oh, you’ve done it now, doll,” he said before charging at her and tackling her into the water. They continued to play for a while, splashing and laughing, before Lucy called for a truce. They were both out of breath as they continued to snicker, making their way back to the blanket. Once on dry land, Lucy ran to the blanket and flopped down.

“I’m  _ exhausted! _ ” she exclaimed, looking up Laxus who stood towering over her. He sat down and pulled out another two beers. Lucy gratefully gulped hers down. Thirst satiated, she reached for her book and flipped it open. She turned onto her stomach and began reading, her beer can sitting next to her within easy reach. She heard the sound of a shutter and looked up to see Laxus pointing his camera in her direction. Normally, she would have squealed and asked him to stop, but for some reason, she didn’t care. He then padded around the beach, taking multiple photographs, while Lucy lost herself in her book. Several pages later, Laxus heavily flopped down next to her. He propped himself up on his elbows and rested his chin on Lucy’s shoulder, looking at the book.

“What you reading?” he asked.

“A romance,” Lucy replied dreamily. Lucy expected him to stick his tongue out, but instead he asked, “What’s it about?”

“Just the usual. Star-crossed lovers who have to battle the odds to stay together. It’s an easy, fun read. With a lot of steamy sex,” Lucy looked away from her book to smirk up at him.

“Sounds interesting,” he said, with no reaction.

_ Man, he’s good at this deadpan thing! _ Lucy was secretly astounded.

Laxus pulled out his camera and scrolled through the photographs on the tiny screen while Lucy continued to read. Soon, however, the sun had set too low and the dim light was making reading a little difficult. 

Lucy sat up and looked at Laxus, expecting him to get up and pack things away. She wondered where they were going to go to eat the sandwiches he’d packed. But he didn’t move. Instead he leaned into the basket, and after shifting the food around, retrieved a small pile of tealights and a lighter. He placed them around the blanket and ignited their wicks. He stood up and deftly stepped over the candles, walking in long strides to the car. Lucy watched as he pulled out a small bag and a throw blanket. He sat back down next to her, handing her the bag first, which was filled with more tealights, “For if these extinguish.” He then handed her the throw. “For if we get cold.” 

Lucy put the throw on the blanket next to her and she handed the tealights back to Laxus to put into the basket. 

“You really thought of everything, didn’t you?” Lucy was so touched by the lengths he’d gone to.

“You’re worth it,” he shrugged. Lucy pulled her knees close and hugged them, as if she could hold herself together while her heart exploded. 

“You cold?” he asked, reaching for the throw.

She looked at him and shook her head. “No, just happy,” she smiled. 

Laxus distributed the food between them and they tucked in. They faced each other as they ate, sitting with their legs crossed. Lucy told Laxus more about her mother, and Laxus told Lucy about his grandparents.

“They pretty much raised me after taking me away from my deadbeat dad. He used to get drunk all the time and yell at me, but one day, he shoved me into a table. After that, they came and got me, taking me back to theirs. I lived with them until I left for college, and I haven’t seen my dad since the day I left his house. Not that he cares.” Laxus’s voice had a slight edge. “Anyway, a couple years after graduation, my grandma passed away. My granddad went soon after. That’s why I’m so fond of Maki and his wife. They remind me of my family.” Though Laxus did a good job of concealing it, Lucy could hear the sadness in his voice. 

She put her empty sandwich wrapper to the side and leaned over. She reached a hand up to his face, and Laxus closed his eyes. Lucy gently trailed a finger along the faint scar that went down his right eye. She recalled that it had become an unspoken University law to not ask him about it.

“Is that how you got this? When your dad…” she asked hesitantly, her voice full of sorrow for the amazing man in front of her.

“Yeah.” His voice was stiff, but then he let out an exhale and held Lucy’s hand as it rested on his cheek. He brought it to his lips and kissed her fingertips as he opened his eyes. 

They collected the empty wrappers and threw them back into the basket before finishing the last of their beer. Laxus ended up needing to relight the candles after their meal. Lucy watched him carefully flick the lighter against every candle as she stretched out on her back, bent elbows keeping her propped up. When Laxus was done, he draped the throw cover over Lucy’s legs before sitting down. Lucy lay down completely and looked up at the stars. Laxus lay down next to her, briefly lifting the throw and placing it over his own legs. Their shoulders and knees touched as they observed the twinkling lights. Lucy had never seen stars this bright, and she was sure that even without the candles, she’d have been able to see clearly.

She turned onto her side, now facing Laxus. He mimicked her, turning onto his side as well.

“You know, since the day I bumped into you at the pier, I have gone to bed every night thinking ‘this day has possibly been one of the best days of my life’. And the day before I met you, I cried myself to sleep, miserable about everything I’d been through. When I told you that I was well on my way to moving on, it was because of you. Whether you realised it or not, you helped me put myself back together. Thank you, Laxus,” she finished her speech by cupping his jaw. She looked into his eyes and saw his affection for her, and how touched he was by what she said.

Neither one said anything, laying in silence as Lucy’s outpour of emotion washed over both of them. Laxus finally asked her throatily, voice barely above a whisper.

“Lucy, can I kiss you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am genuinely in love with my Laxus. I'm just making him embody everything I want in a man (of course minus that deadbeat dad thing; that was just me tying in a little bit of canon). I was so excited to write this chapter, because right after I got done with chapter one, and I roughly knew where I wanted to take this story, two chapters popped into my head, basically fully fleshed out. This was one, and another is going to come later.   
> I hope you like this chapter! Leaving it at a tiny cliffhangery moment, but I will upload the next chapter very soon, promise!


	10. Chapter 10

Her heart began fluttering rapidly at his question, and she searched his eyes for any indication that something would go wrong. When all she saw was sincerity and affection, she nodded. Laxus held her chin and tipped her face, angling his over hers. He slowly brought his lips towards hers, before gently pressing them together. He pulled back, and looked into Lucy’s eyes, ensuring she was okay. Abating his concerns, Lucy leaned forward and kissed him, her hand weaving through his blond hair. Laxus moved so that Lucy was now flat on her back, as he hovered over. His kisses were sweet and gentle. No other part of him touched her as their lips moved in harmony. Lucy had both hands in his hair and was pressing him into her, urging him to kiss her more deeply, but he maintained his soft kisses.

Lucy pulled away. “Why aren’t you kissing me?” she questioned.

“Uh, Lucy. Last time I checked, what we’re doing  _ is _ kissing.”

“No, like  _ really _ kissing me. You’re treating me like I’m made of glass. You won’t even touch me,” she whispered the last part, embarrassed at how silly she was being. She turned her face away, hiding her dejected look from the blond man.

Laxus sat back on his haunches so that he could see her clearly.

“Lucy,” he called.

She made a small sound to confirm that she heard him but didn’t turn her face.

“Lucy, please look at me,” he asked.

She propped herself up and looked him in the eye.

“You’ve just gone through a rough breakup with a guy you were with for a long time. I don’t know if I’m your rebound or something, but that isn’t the guy I want to be for you. And so if taking it slow, and not touching you will give you the time you need to get over that guy, then I’m going to take it slow. I don’t want to sleep with you tonight, only for you to wake up tomorrow and regret it. You understand? It’s not because I don’t want to. Because I do. God, Lucy,” Laxus exclaimed shakily, running a hand through his hair. “You don’t know how much I want to grab you and kiss you until we can’t breathe and make love to you for hours and touch you everywhere. But I can’t.” He ended abruptly.

Lucy moved so that she was now kneeling in front of him. She held his face between her hands.

“Laxus, you are kind and you are wonderful. And yes, my breakup wasn’t fun, but just because I’m still moving on from that doesn’t mean I don’t have the space in my life for someone new. This isn’t a rebound thing. If you stopped kissing me right now, and told me we’d never do it again, I’d still call you tomorrow and hang out with you. I just like being around you. But I also really like kissing you, and I want to do more of it, if you’ll let me.”

Laxus smiled at the irony of the recently single, heartbroken girl asking him for a kiss, while he, the playboy, played it safe. 

He nodded at the woman, giving her permission to crush her lips against his. Which is exactly what she did.

Lucy leaned forward and firmly pressed her lips to Laxus’s. He responded by pulling Lucy into his lap and tightening an arm around her waist. Lucy threaded both hands into his hair and wrapped her legs around him. Laxus’s tongue licked at Lucy’s bottom lip, requesting entrance that she happily granted. Their tongues intertwined as they tasted each other. Lucy nipped down on Laxus’s lip as she freed one hand from his hair only to rake her nails down his back. Laxus growled in response, deepening their kiss. Their tongues battled for dominance, slipping into each other's mouths and across their lips. His hands roved over Lucy’s back, occasionally skimming the edge bikini top. As their kiss grew more passionate, Laxus reached down to grab Lucy’s butt and she purred appreciatively in response. Lucy broke away when she ran out of air and dipped her head to nibble on Laxus’s neck before kissing him there softly. Laxus kissed Lucy’s cheek, her jaw, her eyelids, her forehead. He kissed her beneath her ear, biting the skin and sucking the spot, surely leaving a mark.

Laxus gently laid Lucy down as they continued kissing, now softer and slower. When they were both thoroughly out of breath and their lips were bruised, they lay on the blanket and looked up at the stars. Lucy had her head on Laxus’s chest with his arm around her and the throw blanket covering their legs. Lucy breathed in Laxus’s scent -- he smelled like rain and sunshine and something vaguely citrusy. She listened to his heartbeat and was slowly lulled to sleep.

Laxus gently shook her awake. “Lucy? We should get going, sweetheart,” he said.

Lucy sat up and rubbed her eyes groggily. “What time is it?” she asked.

“A little before midnight. You were out for about an hour.”

“Oh okay,” Lucy said as she sleepily stood up. She helped Laxus pick everything up and haul it back to the car, and then she crawled in, curling up into the seat.

Laxus grinned at the sleepy girl as he climbed into the car. Lucy kept drifting in and out, having a broken conversation with Laxus as he drove towards her house.

When they got to her front door, Laxus turned the car off and rounded it to help Lucy out. She stumbled up the porch steps and fumbled with the key before Laxus rescued her and opened the door. She stepped inside, and then turned around, confused when he didn’t walk in behind her.

“Aren’t you coming in?” she asked.

“I will another day,” he promised. 

She wrapped her arms around his neck and stood on her tiptoes, firmly kissing his lips. He returned her passionate kiss, and they stood in her doorway, lips interlocked, for a few minutes. Without removing her hands from around his neck, Lucy whispered “Goodnight, darling.” She pressed a quick kiss to his lips.

“Goodnight, beautiful,” he whispered in response.

They let each other go and Laxus went back to his car. 

Lucy walked inside and locked her door behind her. She rid herself of her swim clothes and collapsed into bed, not bothering with pajamas, given her current state of exhaustion. 

Her last thought before falling asleep was how she’d forgotten to ask Laxus what time he’d pick her up tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, some steamy LaLu! I'm trying to find this fine balance with Laxus still being super cocky and forward, plus their evolving relationship, plus Lucy's recent breakup, plus her not unrealistically throwing herself into something. I'm happy with how this chapter turned out, but I'd really appreciate feedback on how you feel about the balance I'm trying to achieve!  
> Also I really wanted to make this chapter smutty, but it didn't feel right. I am pretty convinced I'm going to include smut, but I haven't found that moment yet. Would also like your thoughts on if I should pepper some smuttiness in, or continue with mainly fluff.


	11. Chapter 11

Lucy's eyes snapped open when she felt her blanket on her bare back. She felt the mattress against her chest, without the buffer of a T-shirt to separate her body from the soft cotton bed cover. She sat up and looked at her naked frame, and then memories from the night before began surfacing. She remembered falling into bed exhausted, but more importantly, she remembered the searing kiss that had occurred shortly before that. And the kisses at the beach. She flopped back into bed, blushing wildly as she remembered Laxus’s hands on her body, his lips pressed into hers. She remembered the feel of his tongue as he ran it down her neck, and she remembered the bite he left below her ear. 

Lucy raised her finger and pressed the spot, and sure enough, it ached with a dull throb -- a guaranteed sign of a bruise. Happy that she hadn’t dreamt up the event, she closed her eyes, trying to commit the feel of him to her memory. She lay in blissful contentment as her mind ran through her evening at the beach. 

A beep from her phone interrupted her train of thought. She reached for it, wondering who was messaging her this early. Before she noticed the message, she noticed the time. It was past 8am, which explained why Lucy felt so incredibly well rested. 

The message was from Laxus, hoping she was awake and explaining that he was bringing breakfast over in an hour. He asked her to get a pot of coffee ready, and he’d bring the rest. Lucy didn’t bother texting back, choosing to just call him instead.

“Morning, gorgeous,” he answered, and Lucy could almost see his cocky smirk. “Sleep well?”

“Extremely. Would’ve slept better with you here though,” Lucy said coyly.

“Don’t tease me, Heartfilia,” he laughed. “I’ll be by in a bit. Just gonna jump in the shower real quick -- and before you say it, yes, it would be better with you here.”

Lucy laughed loudly as he took the words out of her mouth before she said goodbye and hung up. She got out of bed and ran to the shower, scrubbing herself clean before vigorously brushing her teeth. Wrapped in her towel, she danced around her house, straightening things up. She smoothed out her hair, fought with her bra clasp, and pulled on a pair of shorts and a crop top before scrambling to the kitchen. Just as she put the pot of coffee on, Laxus knocked at her door. 

Lucy opened it and sighed at how gorgeous he was. He was dressed in a white T-shirt and jeans, and Lucy was convinced that he may have been the most attractive person on the planet. He was balancing a few small boxes, so Lucy quickly stepped aside, making way for him to enter and dump them on her dining table. With his hands now free, Lucy ran at him, throwing herself into his arms. He caught her deftly and hoisted her up so that she could wrap her legs around his waist. He supported her butt as she caught his lips and kissed him deeply. She pressed herself to him, intertwining her tongue with his. She wove one hand through his hair and grabbed the back of his neck with the other, kissing him fiercely and passionately. With a few last pecks, she unwound herself from around him and hopped down.

“Well, hello to you too,” he chuckled, slightly out of breath. “What was that for?”

“Yesterday you said you were worried I’d wake up today and regret what happened, so I wanted to show you that I didn’t. If anything, I regret not having done more,” she stood up on tiptoes and pressed another kiss to his lips.

“Yeah, well, you were basically asleep, so I really don’t know what you were imagining we’d do,” he said, plopping down on the couch. Lucy acquiesced with a shrug, moving to sit next to him. Instead, he grabbed her around her waist and pulled her to his lap, so that she was now perched sideways across his thighs.

She loosely wrapped her arms around his neck before asking, “Did I tell you just how good you look today? Because you do. Just… So… Gorgeous,” she said, punctuating her sentence with kisses along his jaw.

“I mean, isn’t that a given at this point?” he said, with an arrogant shrug of his shoulders, but by now, Lucy was able to recognise his teasing with ease. “Also,” he said, pushing her away a little, “are you saying I haven’t looked good up until this point?”

“I specifically have a thing only for bare chested guys or guys in jeans and a white T-shirt. That’s why you’ve only been kissed yesterday and today. Had you been half naked the day I ran into you at the pier, well, honey we’d have never left bed,” Lucy teased back.

“Damn, then I’m never taking you to the beach again. Who knows which poor, shirtless bastard you’ll attack.”

Lucy sniggered, tucking her face into the side of his neck and inhaling his lovely scent.

“Okay, up,” Laxus said suddenly, smacking her butt. She grudgingly slid off his lap and he stood up. “I’m hungry. Please tell me the coffee is ready,” he looked at her with questioning eyes. 

“Yes, in the kitchen. Splash of milk, no sugar,” she instructed.

He hollered a “Yes, ma’am” in response as she nestled back into the couch, lounging while he got things ready. 

Laxus soon brought their coffees out and took a seat at the small dining table, where Lucy joined him. He opened each box and pushed them towards the woman so that she could observe the assorted pastries inside. Some were crumbly squares of spinach or lamb, and others were flaky parcels of nuts and fruit. Lucy eagerly took a bite out of one, and let out a loud moan. 

"This is so good," she whimpered with her eyes closed. She ran her tongue along her bottom lip, catching bits of pastry that clung there. 

"It's amazing how you can make eating look so seductive," Laxus noted in fascination, popping some food into his mouth. "Kind of makes me jealous of that pastry." 

"Ha ha," Lucy said flatly, sticking her tongue out the man, who quickly leaned towards her and nipped it. 

"Laxus!" she exclaimed, smacking his arm. They both sniggered, continuing to bicker and laugh as they finished eating. 

“So what are we doing today?” Lucy asked, licking the remnants of her breakfast off her fingers.

“Nothing,” the man replied with a shrug.

“Come again? You’ve planned wonderful dates every day for the last several days, and today is "nothing"?” she asked incredulously.

“Oh, so we’ve been going on dates this entire time, have we?” he smirked.

“Well, yes, I suppose, but not the point. Are you just gonna leave and go home now?” Lucy’s face visibly fell.

“Obviously not. We’re going to do nothing together. We can watch a movie, read, maybe run down to the supermarket and pick up things for a nice home-cooked lunch, and, if we’re feeling like it, we can go out for dinner,” Laxus detailed nonchalantly.

Lucy got out of her chair and sat on his lap, straddling his legs. “I knew you’d have a romantic day planned,” she said, kissing him.

“You must have really low standards if you think this is romantic,” he said against her mouth with a chuckle. 

“Hey, I have a question,” he pulled back to look at her. “When you said dates…?” He left the question hanging, but Lucy knew what he was implying.

She exhaled with a sigh and touched her forehead to his.

“You’re such a great guy, Laxus. And being around you makes me incredibly happy. But if you’re asking whether this means we’re dating, I honestly don’t know. I don’t know if I’m ready to call someone else my  _ boyfriend _ yet, but none of that means that I want to stop this -- whatever we are,” as she finished she leaned back and cupped his face in her hands. “You need to believe me, Laxus. I want this, and I want you, and I don’t want us to stop,” she gazed into his eyes, silently begging him to understand.

He held her cheek and pulled her in for a soft kiss. “Of course. I’m sorry I asked, I didn’t mean to put you in the position. I’m happy with whatever this is too, and we don’t have to call it anything yet,” he said stroking her cheek. Cracking a lopsided grin, he asked, “So this means I can go on that date with Porlyusica, right? I promised her a wild night, after all.”

Lucy chuckled, shaking her head.

The pair spent the rest of the day in perfect domestic bliss. They did everything Laxus had said, starting with a movie. Lucy picked an old black-and-white classic, much to Laxus’s irritation, who had been rooting for a horror movie. They bought supplies from the grocery store and put lunch together, making a huge mess in the process. Laxus flicked a piece of lettuce at Lucy who cruelly retaliated with a spoon of flour. Though they quickly called it quits, their mini food fight, and the fact that at least one of them would knock something over every time they made out in the kitchen, resulted in a mess that took the pair an hour to clean up. 

Post lunch, with a few glasses of wine in their system, they lay down on Lucy’s bed, and she curled herself into him. He wrapped his arms around her, and they talked in quiet whispers for a while before eventually dozing off. 

Laxus woke up first and poked Lucy repeatedly until she sat up with a snarl. Irritated with the rude awakening, she hit Laxus with a pillow before lying back down and closing her eyes. Laxus got out of bed and lifted her off, carrying her to the couch, where she was unceremoniously dropped, but it at least ensured that she was wide awake. 

Their evening was peppered with banter and music, and sitting out on Lucy’s porch to watch the sunset. Finally, when they were both beginning to get hungry, they strolled over to the pier.

“Where should we eat?” Laxus asked.

Lucy smiled devilishly and dragged him to the restaurant at the end -- the same restaurant at which they met. 

"Ugh, you're such a cheese ball," Laxus groaned, but allowed Lucy to pull him along. 

They sat down and ordered. While they waited, Laxus casually asked, “So, besides me, has there been anyone else since that guy?”

“Is this your way of confirming whether or not you’re my rebound?” she asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

“I’m asking the questions, kid,” he said in his best cop voice. “Plus, you said I wasn’t a rebound and my dumb ass trusts you. This is just me being an inquisitive asshole, so please feel free to tell me to stuff it.”

Though he denied it, Lucy had a feeling that he still wasn’t entirely convinced that he wasn’t her rebound. She wanted to ease his concerns and put him out of his misery, so she laid it all out there.

“There were two guys. The first one was soon after the breakup. I went to a bar, got drunk, recognised him from one of my classes, and took him home. He was a nice guy. He wanted to get breakfast together the next morning, but it was as though I couldn’t kick him out fast enough. The second was once I was back home. I went out for a movie and dinner with this guy who lived in my neighbourhood, and then I went back to his place. The next morning, I left before he even woke up. I never called either of them again, and I spent several days after both occasions just hating myself and crying and hating Natsu and crying some more.” 

When Laxus nodded in understanding, Lucy asked “Satisfied that you really, truly aren’t a rebound?” she smirked.

“Shut up. It was never about that,” he defended uselessly. 

Lucy giggled, and Laxus immediately jumped back into regular conversation, picking up an asinine topic from earlier. 

One relaxed meal later, the pair ambled by the pier when Laxus suggested walking Lucy home.

“No, I don’t want to go back to my place,” she said.

He raised an eyebrow, asking a silent question.

“I want to go home with you.” Her voice was definite and unwavering as she looked at him with certainty in her eyes.

“Are you--”

“Yes, I’m sure. I’m one hundred percent sure that I want you to take me back to your house tonight,” she cut him off before he could finish his question.

Laxus bent down and pulled her in for a deep and passionate kiss that earned a couple whistles from other diners.

“Okay, let’s go,” he said, eyes dark with desire. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know how in a romcom, there's the montage of the couple doing like really generic day-to-day things, but it's set to a peppy song and it looks super romantic and fun? That's basically what this chapter was intended to be. Also some progress made in terms of character development???   
> I also just wanted to send all my love to everyone who is so kindly commenting on this! I read each of your comments and they make me so so happy!! You're making my day with your gorgeous words and encouragement! Lots and lots of love <3


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick heads up! This chapter is pure smut, and while I do resume plot in the next chapter, it doesn't go back to being PG-13 again! If you're a young reader or just not a fan of some lemony goodness, read on with caution! Okay, that's all, hope you love it!

The pair walked in through Laxus’s front door, and just as Lucy shut it, she felt him grab her hips and spin her. He pushed her back against the door, and leaned down, roughly capturing her lips. Lucy responded enthusiastically by wrapping her arms around his neck and using that as leverage to lift her legs off the ground and hook them around his torso. Laxus growled into her mouth, hands drifting to hold her butt as she braced herself against the door. Her hands moved into his hair, fisting the blond locks and tugging, which got her another growl. Laxus bit down on her lip and she moaned loudly, grinding her hips into him.

He carried her to his bedroom and laid her down as he straddled her thighs. He broke their kiss to drag a searing trail of pecks along her neck, travelling down to her collarbone, stopping at the edge of her blouse. Her chest heaved and the tops of her breasts spilled over the edge of the garment. He licked each soft curve, before nipping at the flesh there. Lucy moaned and bucked her hips up towards his. 

She pulled his face back up towards her and dragged her nails down his back. When she reached the hem of his T-shirt, she slipped her fingers under it, trying desperately to get it off. Laxus understood her intention and sat up, pulling it up over his head and discarding it. Lucy trailed her fingers down his muscular, chiseled abdomen, and when he leaned back down to capture her lips once more, she flipped them over. She sat with her legs straddling his hips and her core pressing deliciously against his bulge. Her fingers continued to dance across his torso before she slid herself lower down and ran her tongue from the base of his neck, down to the waistband of his jeans. Beginning near his crotch, she left a trail of hot, wet kisses back up his body until she reached his jaw.

Laxus had his head tipped forward as he watched her with lustful eyes.

“God, Laxus,” she moaned, kissing his jaw as she did so, “I want you so badly, I think I’m going insane.” She flicked her tongue against the outer shell of his ear and rubbed herself against his raging erection. 

“Fuck,” Laxus growled and sat up, with Lucy still on his lap. “Get this damn thing off,” he yanked at her flimsy top, and together, they managed to pull it off her, with Lucy ensuring he didn’t rip it in the process. Her breasts were still concealed by a lacy bra, but Laxus quickly divested her of that. He flipped them back over so that he hovered above her with her legs around him. He looked down at her hungrily, which made her blush. Lucy tried to cover herself with her arms, but Laxus grabbed them and pinned them above her head with one hand.

“Don’t you dare. You’re so beautiful,” he leaned down to kiss her. Her breasts were creamy and soft, and her nipples were erect. With one hand still restraining her arms, he trailed his fingers across her breast before tweaking her nipple. Lucy yelped at the sensation, which turned into a moan when Laxus placed his mouth on the offended bud, circling it with his tongue. He repeated the motion on her other breast before resuming an assault on her lips. He freed Lucy’s hands and she immediately moved them to his back, her fingers tracing patterns on his defined muscles while she slowly bucked her hips into his erection. 

Laxus slipped down her body. He kissed both breasts and gently bit down on her nipples; he kissed her abdomen, and circled her belly button with his tongue; he finally reached the waistband of her shorts and tugged at them with his teeth. Lucy raised her hips, letting Laxus pull her shorts off. He spread her knees apart and decorated her inner thighs with soft kisses while his hands continued to play with her nipples. Laxus could smell Lucy’s arousal, and he began inching his kisses towards her centre. 

Lucy had her head thrown back and eyes screwed shut as lustful desire coursed through her. Her panties were soaked by this point. Laxus ran his fingers near her centre, always coming close, but never touching her where she needed. 

“Laxus… Please…” she panted heavily.

With a low chuckle, he dipped his face and laid his tongue flat against her cloth covered slit. That one action earned him a loud gasp from the blonde woman, who bucked her hips into his face. Laxus hooked his fingers into the waistband of her panties and, agonisingly slowly, peeled them off. He traced her outer lips with his fingers before giving her womanhood another swipe of his tongue. 

Lucy grabbed his head and mewled “Oh, Laxus!” stretching his name into multiple syllables. He circled her clit with his finger a few times before capturing the nub between his lips. Lucy’s pants had grown more desperate and she was almost painfully tugging at his hair. Laxus dipped a finger into her pussy and curled it, making her whimper. He added a second finger and began slowly pumping in and out of her while he continued flicking his tongue against her clit. 

Lucy was incoherently moaning his name and gasping, as he felt her arousal grow, soaking his fingers. 

“Pl-please...Laxus...M-more…” she gasped.

“Anything for you,” he whispered against her hot sex. The feel of his breath against her centre made her core tighten with desire. He pumped his fingers into her faster and sucked her clit with earnestness. Lucy held his head in place firmly, while one hand tweaked her nipple.

Her moans became louder and more desperate, and with a final cry, she came undone. Laxus gave her slit a final lick before moving up to meet her lips. 

Lucy felt so wanton when she tasted herself in his mouth, flooding her core with heat once more. She slid out from under him and pushed him onto his back.

“Your turn now, baby,” she twinkled.

She kissed him deeply before settling herself between his knees. She sucked a spot on his hip, occasionally nibbling at it, while she undid his belt. Laxus helped her slide his jeans and boxers off, and once fully naked, he propped himself up on his elbows to look at Lucy with a signature cocky smirk. Laxus looked damn fine, and he knew it, which turned Lucy on immensely. 

Her eyes immediately went to his member which was much larger than she had imagined.

_ I was expecting him to be big, but holy shit, he is enormous!  _ She exclaimed to herself internally.

“Thanks, beautiful. You really know how to flatter a man,” he winked with a grin.

“Shit, did I say that out loud?” She wanted to run and hide in embarrassment.

“You mumbled “enormous” under your breath, and I can only assume you’re talking about this,” he gestured towards his penis.

“It’s a good thing I find your cockiness sexy,” she said with a raised eyebrow. Then, with a sultry smirk, she continued, “But that’s not the only thing about you that’s sexy.” With that she feathered a kiss on the tip of his dick. Lazus inhaled sharply, watching her lean over his manhood. She slipped the head into her mouth and swirled her tongue around it, before releasing it with a satisfying pop. She then bent even lower and sucked one of his balls into her mouth, while her nails gently scraped over the other. She fondled them in her hand before planting a wet kiss on each one. By this point, Laxus was breathing in laboured rasps.

“Fuck, Lucy,” he choked out. 

Lucy ran her tongue along his shaft and swirled it around the tip once more, before running it back down again. She positioned her mouth straight above his dick and then swallowed as much of it as she could, bracing her hands on his muscular thighs as she bobbed up and down. She felt him hit the back of her throat, and then tried to slip him down further before she sat up releasing him with a gasp. She took him back into her mouth, and sucked her cheeks in as she continued to move her head. One hand moved to the base of his shaft where she fisted his dick and pumped it in tandem to the movements of her head. Beads of pre cum began forming at his tip which Lucy happily licked away. 

Laxus grunted at her minstrations, gently thrusting his hips into her. He lifted her head off his penis and crushed his lips to hers, pushing his tongue between her lips. He pulled away and reached for his bedside drawer from which he retrieved a foil packet. Lucy took it out of his hands and tore it open, before expertly rolling the rubber down his rock hard dick. She then climbed on top of him, aligning her pussy over his gorgeous member. He held her hips as she slowly lowered herself down. She let out short, sharp moans as she stretched around him. Inch by inch she gradually took him in, giving her opening time to adjust to his size. 

Once she had sunk down on him entirely and was comfortable around his girth, she began to rock herself gently, rubbing her clit against his pelvic bone. She pressed her palms to his chest, bracing herself as she moved her hips. She then slowly lifted herself off, before sinking back down. She repeated this, picking up speed as she did so. Soon, she was bouncing on his dick, with both hands in her hair, head thrown back as wanton moans escaped her lips. Laxus hissed, grabbing her hips and thrusting up into her to meet her as she sank down over him. 

“Ahh… Yes… La-Laxus….harder!” Lucy cried, beads of sweat beginning to drip down her body.

Laxus wrapped an arm around her slender frame, and without removing himself from inside her, flipped them over. He grabbed one of her legs and pulled it onto his shoulder, kissing it as he did so. He swiftly pressed a kiss to one of her nipples, and then her lips, still firmly buried within her warmth. Lucy moaned into his mouth, and he pulled himself out of her nearly entirely, before rapidly driving back in. Lucy arched her back with a loud cry. Laxus pulled out and drove into her again, pounding her into the mattress.

Their new position angled his dick perfectly inside her, and every thrust had her unraveling. Laxus felt her walls begin to clench and he knew she was close. Her cries were now incoherent as she moaned his name in between obscenties and gasps. Laxus picked up his pace, using one hand to play with her clit as he continued his relentless pounding. He was nearing his orgasm, and began to slam into her desperately. 

The sensation of him ramming into her while he played with her clit sent Lucy over the edge, spasming as she loudly came. Her walls gripped Laxus’s dick like a vice, which triggered his own orgasm. He thrust into her with a final grunt as he climaxed. 

Entirely spent, he collapsed onto the bed, rolling so that Lucy was now lying on top of him. He was still inside her as he began to soften. He pulled out and quickly peeled off the condom, tying it at the top and disposing it, wrapped within a wad of tissue paper, into his bedside dustbin. Lucy flopped off him, with her head on his chest as the aftershocks of the powerful orgasm continued to send mini tremors through her.

They lay there in silence, bodies slicked with sweat, as they slowly regained their breath. Laxus tilted Lucy’s face up and kissed her softly.

“So much for me taking it slow, huh?” he chuckled quietly.

Lucy stroked his face, replying, “Dreyer, if you had waited even one more day before fucking me, I may have punched you in the throat.”

Laxus let out a breathy laugh, “Sweetheart, I could spend the rest of my life fucking you.”

Lucy blushed, intertwining her legs with his. 

Naked, sweaty, and tangled together, the couple soon fell asleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sexy times!!! Even as a writer, it is just such a relief to be able to write them finally banging after all their chemistry and sexual tension. It's a pure smut chapter, so not much else to say except that I hope it got you lovelies all tingly, and I hope it was as satisfying for you to read as it was for me to write!


	13. Chapter 13

Lucy woke up the next morning, curled on her side with Laxus spooning her, one of his arms around her waist. She turned to face him, and saw that he was still asleep. She gazed at him, taking in every aspect of his face. She noted his high cheekbones, full, pink lips, his slightly crooked nose, the faint scar across his eye, his dark blond eyelashes that were long enough to brush the tops of his cheeks, his soft blond hair that fell across his forehead. She raised her hand to brush his hair away from his face when she felt him stir. She cupped his cheek as his eyes fluttered open.

“Morning, gorgeous,” he rasped. “Sleep well?”

Lucy smiled, remembering their phone call from the previous day. “Extremely. Even more so because you were next to me,” she said, kissing him softly.

“Mmm, you’re such a good sight to wake up to,” he mumbled against her lips. 

Her heart tightened, and the butterflies in her stomach suddenly reminded her of her crush on him from ages ago.

“Laxus?” she began.

“Hmm?” The man had his face buried in her neck and was tickling it with feather-light kisses.

“You remember Bacchus’s party, don’t you? The one where we met?”

Laxus grunted in affirmation.

“And you remember we kissed then?”

Laxus pulled back, looking at her wide eyed. “We did? Shit! I completely forgot the time I made out with a total babe,” his jaw dropped in mock horror. “Of course I remember, Lucy. How could I forget?” he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

Lucy smacked him before continuing, “You never texted me.”

“I didn’t know your name. I figured it out a few days later, but by that point, it just seemed weird. Plus you were a freshman, and I was graduating in a few months. Also, in my defence, you were drunk off your ass. I didn’t think you’d even remember the kiss,” he said with a nonchalant tilt of his head. “How come you brought it up though?”

Lucy considered admitting that she had a crush on him -- then and possibly also now -- but given everything that they’d done so far, admitting to a crush seemed a little silly.

Instead, she said, “Who knows, man? Maybe if you’d texted me, we could’ve been doing this a long time ago,” she smirked.

“Well, then I guess we need to make up for lost time,” laxus said huskily, pulling her in for a kiss. 

They made love again that morning, this time gentle and slow. They wrapped themselves around one other and gazed deeply into the others eyes. They moved slowly and tantalisingly, in perfect harmony. They kissed each other gently, and stayed locked in their embrace as they came undone together. They kissed for a long time, with Laxus buried in her, and soon, she felt him harden again. 

When they finally managed to get out of bed, they went into the shower together. Laxus gently washed Lucy’s hair, massaging shampoo through her scalp before rinsing it out. Lucy rubbed soapy hands across his muscular chest and defined abdomen. When she reached down and gave his member a gentle tug, she felt him grow hard. She continued pumping his dick while her lips met his, and soon her chest was pressed against the shower wall while Laxus smoothly thrust into her from behind. 

They stayed in the shower long after the water had run cold, revelling in each other's nudity. It was close to lunchtime when the pair managed to separate long enough to put on clothes. Even then, Lucy wore only one of Laxus’s T-shirts, and he wore solely a pair of boxers. 

Laxus was putting something together in the kitchen when Lucy saw his laptop open on the table. 

"Laxus? Could I look at some of your photographs?" 

Laxus looked over his shoulder and noticed her by his laptop. He nodded saying, "Open the folder 'Lucy'." 

She excitedly navigated there, and was awestruck as she clicked through every photo. She stayed standing as her stomach fluttered, looking at the pictures of herself. She hadn't even noticed him taking many of these. But there she was, at the beach, sprawled on the sand looking golden and glistening; or at the hilltop, skirt swaying around her legs in the breeze; or in Makarov's garden, eyes twinkling as she raised a glass to her lips. 

Lucy didn't hear Laxus walk up behind her, but when he slipped his arms around her waist, she leaned against him. 

"Laxus… Th--these are stunning…" she whispered, unable to take her eyes off the screen. 

"I've been saying it all along, you're so beautiful," he bent down to kiss her neck, "This is all you. I just pressed a button." 

Lucy shook her head, "No. You're amazing.  _ These _ are amazing. Laxus, I…." Overwhelmed, Lucy didn't know what to say. She tipped her head back and let Laxus kiss her lips before she continued gazing at the photographs. His hand moved from her waist to fondle her breast, and waves of pleasure began to rise with the stimulation, spurred on by the sight of herself through his eyes. 

She spun around within his arms and kissed him, his hand floating to her butt. They maneuvered towards the couch, where Lucy nearly tore his boxers off. His T-shirt was on the floor moments later, and soon, Lucy's moans coupled with Laxus’s grunts filled his house. 

When satiated, the pair lounged naked on the couch, until Lucy's stomach audibly rumbled. 

She grabbed it with an embarrassed expression. "Oops," she said sheepishly. 

"Time to get some food into you, beautiful," Laxus stood up and pulled his boxers on. Lucy wriggled into the T-shirt and planted herself at the dining table, occasionally sneaking glances at the photographs on the screen. When Laxus put the food in front of her, she scarfed it down. She hadn't realised how starved she was, but it was only to be expected given the number of times they’d had sex that morning alone.

_ I could probably go another round after lunch, _ Lucy thought to herself as she drank in a shirtless Laxus, but the dull, tender ache in her centre told her that it needed a break. 

Right on cue, he asked, “What do you want to do after lunch?”

“I should get home and jump into a fresh set of clothes. Maybe shower again, given the state you left me in after our last one,” she smirked at him playfully.

Laxus let a short laugh and nodded. “If you’re up for it, there’s something fun we can do tonight,” he said.

“Hmm, I’m sure there is,” she said coyly, running a finger down his forearm.

“Not sex, pervert. Something that requires us being fully clothed,” he teased.

Lucy sat back with a scowl. “Fine. I guess. But only if we also have sex after,” she huffed, crossing her arms.

“You’re a handful. You know that, right?” he waved his fork in her face. 

“You better tell me the dresscode right now, because if I put on a dress and you take me to the beach again, then baby, I’m coming in the dress.”

“Something casual. You could even afford to go a little dressy if you wanted.”

Satisfied with his answer, Lucy smiled before continuing to tuck into her food.

After lunch and a steamy makeout session, Lucy was back in her shorts and blouse, slipping her feet into her sandals. Laxus offered several times to walk her back, but she insisted that she was fully capable of going by herself.

“I know you’re  _ capable _ ,” he groaned, “but that doesn’t mean you need to.”

“I’ll be fine, Laxus,” she said, waving away his concerns. 

As she stepped outside the door, he grabbed her wrist and turned her. She noted just a hint of hesitation in his features.

“If you want to pack a change of clothes, to bring over to my house, that would be cool,” his casual tone almost perfectly masked the slight nervousness. Lucy blushed furiously and nodded, before wrapping her arms around him. She squeezed him tightly and pressed a kiss to his shoulder. In turn, he kissed the top of her head, before they whispered their goodbyes.

As Lucy walked home, her mind reeled as she replayed everything that had happened since the night before. She was shocked not only at how much she physically desired him, but how much she craved his company, and how comfortable she had become around him. Being with him was just natural. Not to mention, Lucy couldn’t remember the last time one person made her climax that many times in a 12-hour period. 

The physical side to their relationship had turned out to be a huge plus -- Lucy smirked to herself at the word  _ huge _ \-- but what made him special was the way he made her laugh, and the fact that she didn’t feel like she needed to hold back with him, or the way he could talk to her like a friend, while still making her feel incredibly beautiful and sensual. 

A small part of Lucy’s brain screamed at her, telling her they’d only spent less than a week together. It told her that she was being idiotic and jumping into something that she should’ve taken her time with, but then she remembered the softness in his eyes when he looked at her, and their comfortable bickering, and the way she felt entirely at ease with her head against his chest. The warm Grecian sun and cobbled path reminded her that being stuck together on this small island urged them towards comfort and familiarity far quicker than it would have happened had they met back home. 

_ Why am I even rationalising this to myself?  _ She asked.  _ Because if I’m being honest, I sure as hell can’t explain how that blond man got me to not only stop grieving Natsu, but also carve a space for himself in my heart in such a short amount of time. But he did, and if I overthink this, I’ll push him away, which will be devastating,  _ she told herself with finality.

She made a quick stop at a grocery store to pick up some essentials before arriving at her doorstep. Once home, Lucy took a long shower to ease her muscles that ached after the strenuous activity. She then wrapped herself in a soft towel and crawled into bed and pulled out her laptop, drafting out a new story.

_ Hopefully this is the one I see through to the end _ , she thought ruefully. 

She managed to get a couple rough chapters out before hitting a creative wall, and so, with an exasperated groan, she slammed her laptop shut, picking up her book instead. 

Her steamy romance novel seemed tame in comparison to the memories she now held in her head. She read through it hungrily, as if the words on her page made her memories more visceral. Her body was tense as the characters in her book found their release, and Lucy briefly contemplated relieving some of her own tension, but a quick look at the clock told her she didn’t have the time.

She pulled out an inky blue, strappy dress that fell just below her knees, and was split up either side to nearly the top of her thigh. She brushed on mascara and ran a deep red lipstick over her lips. A dull silver necklace sat in the hollow of her throat, and matching silver hoops decorated her ears. She pulled her hair into a bun, before changing her mind and shaking it out, letting it fall loosely down her back. She slipped on a pair of flats, and eyed herself in the mirror, ensuring everything was in place.

She took a seat in her living room, returning her eyes to her book, and soon after, Laxus knocked at her door. She picked up her phone and a tote bag she’d packed earlier, at the bottom of which rested two neatly folded dresses and matching underwear. From the fridge she pulled out two mini bottles of sparkling wine, and rushed to the door, just as Laxus knocked again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just your avg cute romantic day, but I was also quite happy with Lucy's internal monologue as she tried to justify her relationship. As the writer, I'm having the exact same struggle because on the one hand, it might seem like it's unlikely that she might be developing feelings for someone so soon out of a breakup, but on the other hand, it isn't impossible. I want this story to be somewhat of a reflection of a real relationship, and I think a struggle like this is staying true to that.


	14. Chapter 14

She opened the door and stood up on her toes, giving him a quick kiss.

“What took you so long?” he asked.

She proudly held up the two small bottles with a wide smile, and handed them to him while she locked her door. The pair then looked at each other, checking the other out. Laxus was in a dark purple shirt with black slacks and a matching blazer. 

“Shit,” Lucy muttered.

“Shit is right,” he replied, equally huskily. 

Lucy kissed him hungrily. When they broke apart, Laxus panted, “Fuck it, let’s just go back inside and get naked.” He kissed her again.

“Fat chance. I got dressed and I look nice so we’re going wherever you planned on taking me,” she said, marching up to the car. 

She jumped into the passenger side and threw her tote bag onto the backseat. Laxus slid in after her, carefully placing the two bottles in the cup holders.

“We should remember to take the bottles and throw them into your fridge for a bit when we get back home,” she reminded him. 

Lucy looked up at the clear sky as Laxus drifted along the road. The stars shimmered brightly and the moon was almost full. The road was bathed in a silvery white light; the same light also bounced off the sea’s undulating surface, making it look like stars were trapped within her waters. Laxus drove to the back of the island, driving a couple minutes past where the action seemed to be. He pulled into the parking lot of a large glass walled studio. Inside, amidst dim, warm lighting, were paintings, photographs, and a long bar along which a few people milled. Lucy threaded her arm through Laxus’s, thoroughly confused as to what was happening. He led them to a table behind which sat a handsome older man, with a tight fitting black T-shirt and salt and pepper hair. 

“Two tickets?” he asked in a smooth accent.

Laxus nodded and reached into his wallet. As he paid and collected the tickets, Lucy squeezed his arm and frowned at him. She was upset that he hadn’t let her pay.

“I recall you saying something about letting the guy pay on the first date. I am choosing to count this as our first official date,” he murmured into her ear.

“Please, help yourself to a glass of wine,” the handsome man gestured towards the bar. 

Picking up a glass each, Laxus led her to the back of the studio, and out of a door. It opened up into a large yard, set up with low loveseats and small side tables that held flickering candles and bowls of nuts. A large screen spanned over half the width of the yard, and the light of a projector anchored on the roof of the studio shone down onto it. 

“What is this?” Lucy asked Laxus in fascination.

“Open air movie screening,” he said, pulling her to a loveseat a row from the front. 

Lucy’s jaw dropped. Everything was absolutely perfect, and soon after they were comfortably nestled in and sipping their wine, an old movie began to roll. Lucy snuggled into Laxus’s side and he draped an arm over her as they watched in rapture. The moonlight illuminated Laxus’s face and made him look angelic. Lucy couldn’t resist pressing her lips to his jaw every now and then. Laxus would smile every time she did it, as his hand rested below her collarbone, his thumb stroking the top of her breast. 

Lucy loved when Laxus laughed during the movie. She felt the deep rumble emanate from his chest as she pressed herself against him. Halfway through the film, she tried to sit up and give him some room, but he gently pulled her back down into him and fluttered a kiss on the top of her head. An usher walked around through the movie quietly replenishing their snacks. 

When the credits rolled, the director of the studio thanked everyone for coming by, and people gradually began filing out. Lucy and Laxus strolled out arm-in-arm, still dazed from the magical experience of watching a film under the open night sky. As they drove home, they discussed the film, the experience, the wine, and the stars. Lucy began strategizing out loud about how she could pull something like this off back home.

Inside Laxus’s house, Lucy put her tote down onto his dining table. as he stuck the bottles of wine into the fridge.

“You know, you could’ve called and asked me to pick up some bubbly,” he commented, bringing her a glass of water as she took a seat on his couch. 

“Mmhmm,” she nodded as she took a sip. “But I wanted to do this for us. You’ve been doing all these amazing grand gestures, so a small bottle of bubbly is the least I could do.”

“And is there a reason you didn’t buy just one big bottle instead?”

“Yeah, so that we can sit out on the hood of your car and drink from the bottle like teenagers. Duh.” She rolled her eyes at him.

Laxus laughed, and when the bottles were adequately cold, the pair made their way to the car, perching themselves on the hood. They uncapped their bottles and clinked before taking a swig.

They leaned back against the windshield and Lucy began pointing out constellations and the myths behind them.

“How do you know so much about this stuff?” he asked.

“I had a nanny who told me that everyone who died became a star, and so I asked my dad to show me my mom’s star. That’s when he pointed out Aquarius. It then became a nightly routine. We’d sit up at night with his telescope and look at the sky, and the next morning, I’d read everything I could about the constellations we saw.”

“That’s beautiful, Lucy,” he leaned over and kissed her. “You’re beautiful,” he whispered as she laced her fingers through his hair. They continued to look at the stars and kiss until they ran out of sparkling wine, at which point they went back inside and headed straight for Laxus bedroom. 

As they stood facing each other Lucy slowly slipped the straps of her dress off her shoulders. She let her dress fall to the floor, pooling around her feet. She was clad only in a pretty pair of lace panties. She blushed as Laxus’s eyes roamed up and down her body. 

“I couldn’t wear a bra under that dress, it was too strappy…” she began rambling, before she realised that Laxus hadn’t taken his eyes off her body and was paying little attention to much else.

She blushed even more furiously, and whispered, “You like?”

“Baby, you don’t even know,” Laxus covered the distance between them in one stride, crushing her body to his as he roughly kissed her. Lucy fumbled with the buttons on his shirt, and he left her hips to assist. She pushed his shirt off his shoulders and began working on his belt.

When they both stood in nothing but their underwear, they collapsed into bed, and then raced to rid each other of the last pieces of cloth that separated them. 

Their lips stayed locked as Laxus curled two fingers into her while she pumped his dick. When they were both aching from desperation, Laxus slid into her. Lucy came around him almost instantly before raising her hips and bucking them against his, working herself to a second climax. 

They fucked each other for hours, kissing and caressing each other whenever they needed a few minutes to recover. They were insatiable as they brought each other to completion over and over again. Laxus’s name became a prayer on Lucy’s lips, and her name on his. They fucked each other slowly, delicately, and then they fucked each other fast and rough. Laxus had red lines running down his back from where Lucy had clawed him, and Lucy had bruises on her hips where Laxus had held her as he rammed into her. Their necks were marred with purple splotches where they had bitten and sucked each other. 

When they were finally too tired to continue, they fell asleep in each other's arms with nothing but a soft kiss goodnight exchanged.

After a quiet morning filled with slow, lazy sex, the pair decided to grab breakfast by the pier and watch the boats come in. They found a cafe by the docks and ordered coffee and some food as they chatted jovially. A passerby would take them for two young people enjoying a breakfast date, but someone paying closer attention would also notice how they made no effort to hide the lustful gaze in their eyes as they mentally undressed one another. 

Lucy would run her feet up Laxus’s leg, and he’d occasionally reach over to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. The tourists that strolled by looked at the couple in admiration, as they painted the perfect picture of romantic bliss. Lucy reached over to swipe her thumb across Laxus’s lower lip picking up whipped cream that clung there. He caught her thumb and dipped it into his mouth, sucking the sweet substance off. Lucy laughed as she leaned over the table and captured his lips in a kiss. 

Then, suddenly, with the weight of a mountain, her bliss came to a grinding stop. A familiar voice cut through the sound of the bustling pier.

“Luce…?”

Her heart stopped and she suddenly wanted to vomit, as she turned around to see a pair of familiar onyx eyes staring at.

“N--Na--Natsu,” she croaked. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters back to back??? I'd actually written the previous chapter and this one as one massive chapter, but it was far too long for my taste so I split them. Fun cliffhanger at the end over there! Hope you're liking everything so far!


	15. Chapter 15

Tears welled in her eyes, before an immense wave of rage flooded her, drying them up instantly. She pushed herself away from the table, rattling the water glasses, and stalked up to him, not caring who watched the impending showdown.

Laxus got up and stood a few feet away from her, knowing not to step in.

“What the fuck are you doing here? I thought I told you that you didn’t exist anymore, so why the hell are you standing here?” she spat, her voice dangerously low. 

“Luce, I--”

“You've lost all right to call me  _ Luce _ ,” she snarled. She grabbed his collar and dragged him to a quiet alley nearby. Laxus threw money down on the table to pay for breakfast and rushed after her. He hovered at the entrance of the alley, in case it turned violent and he needed to pull Lucy off of the guy. Lucy, on the other hand, hadn’t even noticed him standing there. 

“Levy told me you were here, Luce, sorry, Lucy…” Natsu quickly corrected himself. “But please, don’t be mad at her. It’s just that I was showing up at her house and calling her every day, begging her to tell me. If anything, be mad at me,” he pleaded. 

She let out a short, clipped laugh, “Natsu.  _ Mad _ doesn’t even begin to cover what I am right now.”

“Please Lucy. Give me five minutes, and if you don’t want to talk to me after that, I’ll understand.”

Lucy crossed her arms over her chest, and waited for him to speak. At that moment, Laxus backed away, going and sitting by the dock, still within eyeshot of the alley, but no longer within hearing range. He knew that Lucy would like her privacy.

Back in the alley, Natsu began.

“Lucy, I fucked up. I know I did, and what I did makes me a shitty person. I will never be able to apologise enough, but you need to know that Lisanna,” Lucy cringed visibly at her name, “was the worst mistake of my life. I was stressed and angry all the time, and it made me do idiotic things. If I could take it back, Lucy, if I could just erase the entire thing, I would. Everytime I close my eyes I only see your face. Lucy, please. You have to believe me. You have to know how sorry I am! I miss you. I don’t know what to do without you. You were-- no, you  _ are _ my world, and I love y--”

Lucy held up her hand, “Don’t. Don’t say you love me.”

“But I do!” he cried. “Please, Lucy. I fucked up, but I need you to forgive me.”

“Natsu,” her voice was deadly, “you know me. You know that I will forgive a lot, but I won’t forgive cheating.”

“This isn’t about me, is it?” Natsu confronted her, “This is about him!  _ Laxus Dreyer _ . Why the fuck is he here anyway? Did you move on from me that quickly?” he asked scornfully.

“Don’t bring Laxus into this. He is a kind and wonderful man, but, no, Natsu, this isn’t about him, and it isn’t about you either. This is about  _ me _ , and how I cannot stand the sight of your face. The idea of us together makes me nauseous. And even  _ if _ I did take you back, our relationship would be a sham, destined to end, because I can never ever trust you again.” She finished, her voice ringing clear and definitive. 

Something in Natsu seemed to have clicked. He slumped against the wall in defeat, tears trickling down his face. Lucy felt a pull of pity for the man in front of her. He looked so sad, and he had come all this way, but her pity didn’t change how she felt about him. 

“Natsu? Tell me one thing. How long were you and that girl together?” Lucy still couldn’t bring herself to say the other woman’s name.

Natsu contemplated a white lie, but then decided against it. “One month,” he whispered.

A fresh set of tears crept into Lucy’s eyes, and she nodded. Natsu suddenly dropped to the ground, crouching by his bag and rummaging in it. He pulled out a small box that Lucy immediately recognised to be the one that held the cufflinks. 

"I've carried these with me everywhere," he whispered. He then thrust them into Lucy's hands. "Take them back, Lucy. I don't deserve them." 

Lucy held her arms up. "No, Natsu…" her voice cracked as tears began to drip down her cheeks. 

"Please, Luce." She didn't bother correcting him. "I can't keep these," Natsu said shakily. 

"They were made as a gift for  _ you _ . I'm not going to take them back," she shook her head, refusing to even touch the box. 

Natsu tried to dry his face, but it was no use. 

"I never gave you anything in return…" he mumbled. 

"Natsu… I don't want anything more from you. I just want to be done with this. Please," she sniffled, now feeling a little defeated herself. 

As both of them stood in the alley, tears wetting their faces, Lucy realised just how tired she was. Exhaustion coursed through her, and she no longer had the energy for hatred, sadness, or anger. She just wanted this to be over so that she could move on with her life. She put a hand on her ex-boyfriend’s shoulder. He didn’t meet her eyes, as tears continued to flow down his cheeks.

“I wish you the very best, Natsu. Honestly. I hope you find someone who fulfills you entirely, and I hope you’ll be happy.” Her voice was soft and kind.

She walked out of the alley without looking back. When she crossed Laxus, she wiped her eyes and said, “I just need some time, okay? But I’ll call you.” She leaned down and pressed a kiss to his cheek before walking away. 

Laxus got up and walked into the alley. He contemplated leaving Natsu alone, but knew that if he ever lost Lucy and then found her kissing someone else, he’d be beyond devastated. Rightly enough, the man was leaning against the wall, his shoulders shuddering as he cried.

“Hey, man,” Laxus said hesitantly.

Natsu swiped at his face with the back of his hand and mumbled, “What the fuck do you want? Here to gloat?” 

Laxus leaned against the wall across from Natsu, who looked up at him with angry, watery eyes.

“No, not gloat. I’m here to ask how you’re doing. Lucy’s given me the gist of what went down when you guys broke up, and if you came all the way over here, you must really regret losing her. So I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“Well, obviously I’m not o-fucking-kay, Laxus,” Natsu sneered. But when he saw that Laxus truly had concern in his face, Natsu calmed down.

“I don’t know, man,” he continued, running a hand through his hair. “I love her. It’s as simple as that. And I fucked up, and every cell in my body wants to take back that mistake. She was the best thing to happen to me, and I threw it away like a fucking idiot.”

Laxus didn’t say anything.

“How come she’s with you now?” Natsu asked, sniffling.

“I was on the island for work and she bumped into me,” Laxus didn’t bother going into any of the details, and Natsu didn’t ask. 

Natsu’s eyes welled with tears once more, and Laxus’s heart went out to him.

Laxus took a deep breath in, stilling himself, before saying, “Listen, man. I am pretty sure I’m falling in love with that girl, and I know I should hate your guts for hurting her. Hell, I should be punching you into the ground right about now. But, because I know what it means to love Lucy, I can maybe begin to understand how shitty you feel right now. Hang around the island. Let me talk to her for you, and convince her to come speak with you again.” Laxus’s breath caught, and he couldn’t believe he was saying any of this. “I know that at one point, you meant a lot to her, so if that means you guys should sit down and have a long chat, I’ll try and make it happen,” he finished shakily. 

Natsu looked up at Laxus, eyes wide with shock. “Wh--what the hell? Why would you do that? I came here to win her back. I’d be taking her away from you.”

“Like I said, you meant a lot to her. And while you can’t  _ take _ her away, if she  _ chooses _ to be with you, then that’s something I can’t control,” Laxus tried to stay nonchalant, but his heart broke at the thought of Lucy leaving him for Natsu.

Natsu looked at his feet and let out a chuckle. “She was right. You’re a good guy,” he looked up at Laxus. “Look man, Lucy and I finished duking it out, and I don’t think she has anything left to say to me, and I have nothing new to say to her. I love her. I will for a long time. But she’s made it clear that she wants to have nothing to do with me, and I’m not going to hang around to have my heart ripped to shreds repeatedly. So thank you for your offer, but I’m not going to be taking you up on it.” 

Natsu picked up the bag that lay on the ground and slung it over his shoulder. He began walking out of the alley, before turning and saying, “I’ve known Lucy a long time. One day, you may know her better than I do, but currently, I probably know her better than any other person on the planet, with the exception of her father. If I’m being honest, I’m pretty sure she’s falling in love with you too, even if she doesn’t know it yet." Natsu remembered the way Lucy smiled at Laxus, right before she kissed him -- right before Natsu had called her name. He realised that he should have known at that moment that she wasn't going to come back to him. 

"Take care of her, Laxus.” And with that, he walked out of the alley, and was on the next boat back to the capital. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my favourite chapter of the entire thing! This was the other chapter that popped into my brain, fully formed, soon after I was done with chapter 1. It was so so so important for me to write Laxus and Natsu having a conversation, mainly because I am sick of that toxic masculine aggression where any tumultuous discussion between two men has to begin and/or end in physical violence. I wanted to write two men having a mature conversation about an uncomfortable topic without resorting to using their fists. And I wanted to not necessarily redeem Natsu, but make him someone that other people within the story at least, felt some degree of sympathy for.   
> Yeah, basically, my favourite chapter. Also, as someone who isn't a fan of conflict, I didn't want to draw this out into a multi-chapter sob fest. Keepin it tight.  
> Lastly! We're nearing the end! We have about 3 chapters left!  
> Apologies for the lengthy note!


	16. Chapter 16

Laxus spent the rest of the day at home, planted on his couch. He checked his phone incessantly, worried about Lucy. He almost dialed her number several times before deciding against it. He wanted to wait for her to come to him when she was ready. In the solitude of his home, Laxus slowly went to pieces. His palms were sweaty as all kinds of thoughts raced through his mind. His worst case scenario was that Lucy decided she loved Natsu and called Laxus to say goodbye. He then went and made it even worse for himself by imagining that she had jumped onto a boat and was already on her way to Natsu to tell him that she loved him in person, with no plans of returning to the little island. He would then calm himself by remembering their kiss that morning, where she laughed so beautifully before leaning over and pressing her mouth to his. He remembered the way her eyes crinkled when she smiled at him, and was momentarily mollified, before thoughts of her calling to tell him it's over resurfaced.

This vicious cycle repeated itself past sunset, and when Laxus thought he was finally going to lose his mind, he picked up his phone, ready to call. His finger had nearly hit the Dial button, when there was a soft knock at his door. Laxus jumped off his couch, nearly tripping over his feet as he yanked the door open.

Lucy stood on the other side. Laxus felt a weight leave his chest and then quickly noted that her eyes were still puffy, but otherwise dry. 

“Laxus,” she choked out, falling into him and throwing her arms around his torso. He wrapped his arms around her, crushing her to him. He dropped his chin onto the top of her head, and a small part of him wanted to cry with relief. He kissed her head and stroked her hair, as she began sobbing into his chest.

“I--I’m sorry,” she gasped, tears soaking the front of his shirt. Laxus gently pulled her inside and shut the door.

She continued apologising as he held her, and his mind instantly went back to his worst case scenario -- she was apologising because she was leaving him. 

“Shh, it’s okay, Lucy. I understand,” he comforted her as he felt his insides crumble. “It’s okay, Lucy. If he makes you happy, it’s okay,” he continued stroking her hair. Lucy suddenly stopped crying and pulled back, looking at him, thoroughly confused.

“What? Who’ll make me happy?” she asked.

“Natsu,” Laxus said, now unsure.

“Why would he make me happy? I want to have nothing to do with him,” Lucy was even more confused now.

“You were apologising… because you were leaving me… but… you’re not…?” Laxus asked, as the error of his ways slowly dawned on him

“I was apologising for crying and soaking your shirt. I’m not leaving you. Why would you think that?” she held his face in worry.

“Oh, thank God,” he kissed her softly and was thrilled when she kissed him back. “I was just worried, and my mind went straight to the worst possible situation,” he explained. He held her hand as they moved to the couch. He sat down, and she sat next to him, with her legs draped over his lap.

“Why were you crying then?” he asked.

“I don’t know. I was just overwhelmed by everything, and I wanted to be with you, and so I guess it was just a lot of emotion being released.” Lucy’s voice was now stable, and her eyes dry. Laxus kissed her hand, and intertwined their fingers.

“Lucy, I need to tell you something,” he began.

“What happened?” Worry instantly clouded her voice again.

“After you left the alley, I went and had a conversation with Natsu.”

Lucy didn’t say anything for a moment. Then, in a low and dangerous voice, she asked “Did you… Did  _ either of you _ physically hurt the other?”

“No, no, no! I swear, there were no punches thrown. We just had a civilised conversation,” Laxus assured her. 

“What about?” Lucy still sounded on edge.

“Lucy… Okay, here’s the thing, I am falling for you. Hard. And I know I may sound insane, given that we haven’t been hanging out for that long, but it’s the truth. I’m kind of crazy about you. And I knew that he must have loved you too, otherwise he wouldn’t have come all the way out here. Knowing what it means to love someone as magnificent as you, I couldn't even begin to comprehend his pain at having lost you. So I went to make sure he was okay.”

“And what did he say?” Lucy’s voice had softened considerably.

“He didn’t tell me anything about whatever you both talked about, but he told me that he loved you. I offered to talk to you for him, and maybe get you to talk to him again, but he refused. He knew that you had nothing left to say to him, and he seemed to have accepted that you were moving on.” He took a breath before continuing. “Lucy, I am so sorry if I crossed some kind of line. I realise that it may not have been appropriate for me to go talk to him,” he looked up at her and saw her eyes sparkling with tears.

“No, Laxus. What you did was very kind, and not many people would’ve done it. It was a really nice thing to do, and you didn’t cross any line. Thank you for being such a wonderful person,” she said as a few tears fell onto her cheeks. Laxus leaned over and kissed them away. Before he could sit up straight, Lucy held his face and kissed him slowly, deeply. The kiss wasn’t meant to elicit lust, rather, it was the kind of kiss that made you fall in love. He laced a hand through her hair, as they gently moved their mouths. As they kissed softly, the errant tear would still escape Lucy’s eye, but it no longer worried Laxus. 

Lucy pulled back and looked at him. “Make love to me, Laxus,” she whispered.

He carried her in his arms to his bed. They both undressed the other slowly, leaving kisses on every exposed body part. They ran their hands over each other, committing the feel of the other person to memory. They lay down facing each other, and Lucy propped her knee up onto his hip. He entered her, and then held her close, as they both made small movements. They broke eye contact only to press their lips together softly. Their love making lasted ages, as they moved minutely against each other, savouring the feel of their bodies pressed together. 

When they both finally came undone together, they moaned each other's names in throaty whispers. They held onto one another as they gazed at the other person, occasionally kissing, but otherwise not saying a word until they both fell asleep.

The next morning, Lucy awoke to find her face inches from Laxus’s. She pressed a soft kiss to his lips, and he stirred in response. When he opened his eyes, Lucy said, “Hey Laxus? There was something that I forgot to tell you last night. I’m kind of crazy about you too,” she grinned.

Laxus chuckled and pulled her in for a searing kiss.

Once fully awake, Lucy told Laxus about her entire conversation with Natsu. She told him how she’d gone to the old ruins and had sat there for a long time after she left the alley, before going back to her house and treating herself to an extended bath. Laxus held her tight, combing his fingers through her hair.

When they were ready to get something to eat, they began picking out places before simultaneously vetoing the pier. As they chuckled, they both internally noted how quickly everything seemed to be going back to their normal. They resorted to eating the cereal that Laxus had lurking in a drawer, but were hell-bent on stepping out for lunch.

As the sun rose high into the sky, the two made their way to the town square, and Lucy blushed as she remembered their dance here. Keeping her promise to Romeo, Lucy quickly found his parents’ boutique and went inside. They had lovely bags and scarfs, but their delicate jewelry was the most impressive. Lucy contemplated buying herself a necklace or a pair of earrings, but in the end, she settled on a simple hand-painted purse. She hadn’t been paying attention to Laxus, who was wandering about the store. She also didn’t notice him covertly approach the cash register and hand over some money. 

When they left the boutique, Lucy armed with her new bag, Laxus stopped her and then stepped behind her. He brought his hand to the front of her neck before dropping a necklace against her throat. He quickly clasped the back and turned her around to see it. Lucy was holding the tiny star shaped pendant in her fingers, her mouth agape.

“Laxus… It’s beautiful,” she gasped. “I can’t accept it!” Lucy had noticed how expensive the jewelry in the store had been.

“It looks gorgeous on you. Plus, given how much you love looking at the stars, I wanted you to be able to look at my star whenever you wanted,” he said, giving her a kiss.

“You’re such a cheese ball,” she said in imitation of him, as she kissed him back.

Soon they found a nice restaurant, and when Lucy ordered a glass of wine, Laxus amended her order to a carafe. Lucy gazed at Laxus with a dreamy smile playing at her lips. She had zoned out and was no longer paying attention to what he was saying. Instead, she was focused on his lips and how they moved when he talked. His hand suddenly interrupted her view, as it waved in front of her face.

“I know I’m hot, Lucy, but if you keep looking at me like that, I’ll have no choice but to fuck you right here, and then we’ll both get arrested for public indecency. And I'm pretty sure neither of us will survive a night in prison,” he admonished.

Lucy blushed and swatted his hand, but rushed through her lunch, making sure he didn’t take too long either. They quickly found themselves back in Laxus’s house, where, starting at the front door and ending in the bathroom, they had sex multiple times across the entirety of his home. 

At one point, as Lucy climaxed again, having long forgotten how many times she’d already climaxed thus far, she looked up at Laxus, and whispered, “Laxus, I think I may be falling in love with you.”

Laxus chuckled and kissed her deeply, intertwining their tongues, before pulling away. “Oh, Heartfilia, I  _ know _ I’m falling in love with you,” he grinned and kissed her again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wholesome fluffiness with the tiniest bit of vanilla smut. We're almost right at the end, but I will upload a properly lemony chapter before I wrap this up! Hope any of you who were worried that Lucy would leave Laxus hanging are satisfied! Though they were always going to come back to each other. It is a romcom, after all.


	17. Chapter 17

Two months breezed by, and the couple didn't spend a single night apart. They made sure to take time away from each other during the day every now and then, for Laxus to work or Lucy to focus on her writing, or her quiet exploration of the island, but every night, without fail, they fell into bed together. 

Laxus came home one evening, after having been out all day, expecting Lucy to be waiting for him. What he didn't expect was the state she'd be in when he arrived. 

Lucy was sitting on Laxus’s couch, aimlessly watching television as she waited for him to come home to her surprise. When she heard the door knob rattle she quickly turned the TV off and stood up, waiting in his direct line of sight. The door swung open and the tall, gorgeous man entered. He hadn't noticed Lucy yet, still focused on hanging up his camera bag and slipping his shoes off. 

"Hi, beautif--" he choked as he finally laid eyes on his lover. 

She was coyly biting her lower lip as she twirled a lock of hair around her finger. She was dressed in a pale pink satin negligee that only just covered her butt. The section that stretched over her ample bosom was a skimpy lace that did nothing to hide her nipples. Her negligee had a white trim that matched the thigh high stockings which ran up her endlessly long legs, held up by a garter that disappeared under the pink outfit. Her stocking clad feet were otherwise bare, as she padded towards Laxus. He noticed the star-shaped pendant hanging from her throat, and for some reason, that sent a jolt of excitement straight to his dick.

He was rooted to the spot, watching her show slack-jawed. When she was a foot from the man, she pulled the side of her negligee up toyingly, to reveal a sliver of bare hip. Laxus realised that, under her satin dress, she was entirely naked. 

"You like?" she whispered playfully. 

Laxus grabbed her roughly and slanted his mouth across hers. Lucy moaned against his lips as their tongues flicked over one another's. He bit down on her lower lip, drawing a gasp from the blonde woman. Her hands ran over his broad shoulders as he squeezed her large breasts, thumbs rolling over her nipples. Laxus had one leg between Lucy’s and their hips were pressed together, his bulge prominently poking into Lucy’s stomach. Lucy ground herself against his thigh as one hand flitted down from his shoulders, across his clothed torso, and landed on his groin, palming his erection through his pants. 

“Get my shirt off,” Laxus growled, and Lucy ecstatically complied. Her hands flew over the buttons before Laxus shrugged it off. Her lips left his as she sank to her knees, kissing his body on her way down. Her mouth stopped at his pectorals and flicked her tongue over his nipples. Laxus hissed and wound a hand into a hair. She moved lower and ran her tongue along his abs, tasting the salt on his skin. She kissed her way down to the faint trail of hair that vanished into his pants, and then she kissed his bulge. Laxus involuntarily bucked his hips as her lips caressed his clothed erection. Lucy expertly undid his belt and Laxus helped her pull the remainder of his clothes off, leaving him standing nude in his foyer.

His erection was painfully hard, and Lucy wanted to have her fun with it. She drifted her lips along his shaft, peppering light kisses. Above her, Laxus groaned, his eyes screwed shut with one hand back in her hair. After kissing along his shaft repeatedly, she turned her attention to his head. Rather than teasing him like she had been doing, she ran her tongue right over his slit. Laxus moaned and his grip in Lucy’s hair tightened. She smiled against his cock, loving that his control was slowly slipping away.

She wrapped her lips right over the very tip of his head and rolled her tongue around it.

“Lucy… Please…” he rasped.

Lucy opened her mouth wider and took more of him in, and Laxus had to desperately will himself to not shove her head down the entirety of his dick. Lucy gently bobbed her head, her tongue playing with his tip and lapping up the beads of precum that were forming there. Spurred on by his moans, she began taking him in deeper and faster. He felt like his dick was in heaven as it slipped down her warm throat. 

And then Lucy stopped moving her head, looking up at him through her lashes. Laxus got the hint and wound his other hand into her hair before fucking her face. As long as he didn’t get too rough, he realised that Lucy also enjoyed him doing this. And so he thrust his dick into her mouth, holding her head in place as he did so. Lucy moaned, and the vibrations hummed over his dick, bringing him closer to release. As he fucked her face, head tipped back, Lucy dragged her nails over his thighs and across his firm ass. 

Laxus knew he’d explode soon, so he tried to pull Lucy off, but she wouldn’t budge. She resumed bobbing her head on his dick, her hands fisted around the base of his shaft as she pumped him. 

“Baby, I’m go--gonna cum soon,” Laxus’s breath hitched as he spoke. Lucy looked up at him, the corner her lips pulled up into a slight smile. She earnestly sucked him off, urging him towards release. And then, he let out a loud gasp before shooting into Lucy’s mouth. Lucy drank down the salty substance as his dick continued to twitch. He erratically bucked himself into her as the waves of his orgasm rocked his body. When he was done, Lucy pulled him out of her mouth with a pop. She flashed him a very satisfied smile.

As she stood up, Laxus rasped, “Babe, you don’t like swallowing…?”

“Yeah, but you think it’s hot,” she said, standing on her toes to kiss him. Laxus grinned against her mouth and whispered, “My turn.”

Before Lucy could react, Laxus had grabbed her hips and hauled her up above his shoulders. Lucy instinctively draped her legs over them as her hand clutched his hair. He supported her lower back before walking her towards a wall, so that she could brace herself against. With her back against the cool stone and her legs hooked over Laxus’s muscular shoulders, he pushed her negligee up and planted a kiss into her centre. Lucy gasped, and he did it again. He pulled her outer lips into his mouth before washing his tongue over them. He nipped her clit gently before sucking on it. Lucy was rolling her hips against his face, her breath coming out in short, sharp gasps. His tongue dipped into her pussy, tasting her sweet muskiness. He ran it over her clit again, before thrusting it back into her entrance. His nose rubbed against her clit as he tongue fucked her, and Lucy fisted his hair roughly, grinding herself against him. 

Laxus pulled back just enough to whisper, “Play with yourself.” 

One of Lucy’s hands immediately flew to her breast, squeezing it before tugging at the nipple. She ran her nails over her bosom, hissing at the sharp sting when her nail caught her nipple. A fresh wave out moisture flooded her pussy and Laxus eagerly licked it away. His hands were under her ass, and he kneaded the delicious mounds as Lucy continued to play with her tit. 

She flicked her nipple, moaning loudly before twisting it. She made sure to give both tits equal attention, tugging, flicking, and caressing them. 

Laxus shifted Lucy so that he was supporting her entirely on one arm, freeing the other hand to come around her thigh. His thumb found her clit and he began rubbing it, while his tongue enthusiastically dipped in and out of her dripping pussy. He pressed down on her clit and then circled it again. He repeated this, and her moans got louder every time he pressed her nub. 

Lucy felt her core tighten as she quickly approached an orgasm, but when Laxus gently raked his teeth over her centre, her vision went white. Her back arched off the wall, and Laxus quickly held her so that she didn’t fall. She cried his name as she came, her pussy quivering as her juices leaked out of her and onto Laxus’s chest.

When her moans subsided, he lifted her off and smirked. She was leaning against the wall, her legs still trembling. 

“Fuck, baby. Give a girl some warning before you make her cum like that,” she rasped. Laxus grabbed her in a kiss, brushing her hair away from her face.

“This was supposed to be your fun night,” she pouted. “I wanted to give you a mindblowing orgasm, but now I’m the one who can barely walk.”

“You  _ did _ give me a mindblowing orgasm,” Laxus said, pressing his body flush against hers. “Plus, we can always go for round two,” he rolled his hips and Lucy noticed that his erection was back. She grinned up at him, standing on her toes to kiss him deeply. Lips interlocked, they made their way to the bedroom, where Lucy pushed Laxus onto the bed.

With a coquettish smirk, she slipped one strap of her negligee off her shoulder, followed by the other. Laxus’s mouth went dry as he watched her slowly pull her negligee down her breasts. The material caught on her nipples, and she had to use a bit more force to pull it off. When it finally slipped, the couple both let out a throaty gasp. Lucy spun around and let the negligee drop to the floor. Laxus gazed reverentially at her incredible, soft ass. Lucy stepped away from the garment before she hinged at the waist and bent down to pick it up, giving Laxus the perfect view of pretty pussy. The man groaned in ecstasy. 

She turned back to face him, and dropped the negligee right back to the floor. Picking it up had only been a ploy to give him something to look at. Now that she was naked, Laxus saw the garter around her slender waist, holding up the pristine white stockings. His mouth watered.

Lucy sauntered up to him, before turning around and sitting on his lap. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her neck as she reached behind and in between their bodies to stroke his cock. She spread his precum down his shaft, and when he was slick, she raised herself, aligning her pussy above him, and sank down. 

They both moaned in unison as he entered her. Lucy began to rock her hips as Laxus toyed with her tits. Laxus slid forward a little, giving himself leverage, and then he held onto her hips as he began to thrust up into her. Lucy reached back and grabbed the back of Laxus’s head, holding his lips in place against her neck.

“Ohh..god..ohh… L--Laxus..more,” Lucy keened. Laxus picked up the pace, snapping his hips up. One hand reached around and rubbed her clit in perfect rhythm with his thrusts. Every few thrusts, Lucy would roll her hips, and that slight change in pace would make Laxus growl. 

“Laxus..I’m..going..to cum!” Lucy exclaimed as she climaxed around his cock, but Laxus continued pushing into her relentlessly. He stood up, dick still in her warmth, and walked her to a wall, pressing her chest against it. He wove his arms around her hips and slammed into her as her fingers clawed at the wall, desperate for another release.

He felt her pussy start to throb, and he knew another orgasm was close. He buried himself in her and stopped thrusting. He bent his lip to her ear and growled, “No. You can’t cum yet. I need to see your face when you cum.”

Lucy shivered as his lips brushed against her ear. He pulled out of her and spun her, pressing her back to the wall. He hoisted one of her legs onto his arm, and with his eyes locked on her face, he entered her in one smooth motion. 

Lucy threw her head back and moaned. Her face was flushed and her lips open. He bent forward, capturing her lips in a fiery kiss as he pistoned his massive cock into her. And then he slowed down. He lazily moved in and out of her, while his mouth attached itself to her nipple, sucking and biting it.

“Laxus, please,” Lucy gasped.

He didn’t lift his face away from her breast, just letting the nipple go long enough to respond, “Please?”

“Please, Laxus…” she moaned as he flicked his tongue against her nipple. “Please fuck me… I need to cum… fuck me now,” she whimpered.

Laxus released her breast and smirked before slamming into her. They both moaned into each other’s mouths as Laxus destroyed her pussy. He let go of her lips to watch her face. Her eyes were screwed shut and her cheeks were pink.

“Look at me when you cum, Lucy,” he grunted.

Her eyes flew open and she watched him watch her. Her lips were parted deliciously, and small beads of sweat ran down her neck. 

“Laxus...I’m going to cum...don’t stop,” she rasped. Rather than stopping, Laxus drove into her with more intensity, and her orgasm wracked her body. She tried to keep her eyes open, but the involuntarily fell shut as her body spasmed. Her pussy gripped his dick, which triggered his orgasm. His head fell down against hers as wave after wave of pleasure coursed through him. They both moaned incoherently as their simultaneous orgasms left their bodies tremoring. They clung to each other as they panted. 

The couple remained in that embrace, leaning against the wall as they caught their breath. When he began to soften, Laxus slipped his cock out of her, his forehead still braced against hers.

She pulled him in for a soft kiss. 

“I love you so fucking much, Heartfilia,” he breathed out.

“I love  _ you _ so fucking much, Dreyer,” she chuckled in response. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The inclusion of this chapter was for purely selfish reasons because I was tired of writing vanilla sex. I felt like this story would have been incomplete without a final bed-shakingly good smut scene. There's now only one chapter to go.


	18. Chapter 18

The next morning, the couple lay lounging in bed, both scrolling through their phones. Suddenly, a thought popped into Lucy’s head. 

“Laxus?” she called, “let’s go see Makarov. Tomorrow. I promised I’d visit him again.” 

Laxus smiled softly. “That’s a great idea, love. I’ll call him and tell him we’re dropping by for lunch. Since we’re that side of the island anyway, do you want to make a day of it? Swing by the cove again, maybe watch the sunset? We can pack a picnic.”

Lucy nodded excitedly.

Laxus dialed Makarov’s number, slipping out of bed. As he walked out of the room, exchanging greetings with Makarov, Lucy stared lustfully at his stunning, taut ass. 

Laxus came back in a few minutes later, and Lucy’s mouth watered once more as she eyed his broad chest, firm abs, and glorious penis. 

“We’re good to go. Maki has promised us lots of food and wine,” Laxus said, before he noticed Lucy’s gaze. “Lucy. Stop it. I can see you eye fucking me. We have much to do today, so get your head out of the gutter.”

Lucy pouted. “We have much to do tomorrow. We have nothing to do today,” she grumbled.

“Nope. We need to buy things for our picnic, and I need to print out some photographs for Maki, and I’m currently starving, so chop chop. Let’s get some breakfast, jump in the shower -- no sex! -- and then head into town. Plus we need to stop by your place, in case you want to pick up a bikini or something,” Laxus continued talking as he pulled on shorts and walked to the kitchen.

Lucy rolled her eyes and huffed. Drill sergeant Laxus was her least favourite because, when he was in this mood, nothing she did could convince him to fuck her. She relented, however, knowing that he’d more than make up for it at night. She rummaged through his drawer and pulled on a soft T-shirt, before following him.

In prompt fashion, they checked everything off of Laxus’s list. After breakfast and a sans-sex shower, they went straight to the printers, where Laxus got a few nice photographs ready for his friend. Next was the supermarket, where Lucy made sure to buy small bottles of sparkling wine again, since they seemed to be reliving their first few dates. Laxus finally slowed down for a leisurely lunch, where they chatted over some olives and wine. In the two months they’d been together, they were yet to get bored of just sitting and talking to each other. Completing the last thing on Laxus’s checklist, they got to Lucy’s house, where he finally made up for denying her sex that morning, and it was so good that she was glad she waited. They contemplated spending the night at Lucy’s, but decided it would just be easier tomorrow if they were already at Laxus’s. She grabbed some things on their way out, stuffing them into a tote bag. 

Lucy was so excited to see the lovely old man again. She could barely contain her smile as Laxus coasted down the road. Their picnic basket and icebox rode in the backseat, along with their swimsuits. 

When they got to the winery, the pair walked with their arms wrapped around one another. There was no way to mistake them for anything other than a couple. Makarov was waiting for them as they entered. 

He beamed broadly when he saw them, intertwined together and blushing gently. 

"Finally got some sense knocked into you, boy," he grinned. 

Lucy let go of Laxus and threw her arms around the old man. "I've missed you, Makarov! It's so good to see you again!" 

Makarov kissed her cheek before holding her face in his hands. "Oh, my child. I am so happy to see you. And I am so happy that you have found love once more," he kissed her cheek again. "He better be treating you right. You tell me if he isn't and I'll set him straight, okay?" Makarov fake whispered as he eyed Laxus. 

Laxus rolled his eyes as Lucy chortled. 

"If anything, you'll have to set her straight, old man," Laxus smirked, hugging him. 

"Nonsense. My lovely Lucy is a gem!" Makarov threw a wink at Lucy, who nodded brightly in agreement. 

"I hate that you both are friends," Laxus grumbled. 

“Laxus,” Lucy elbowed him. “The photographs,” she said, tipping her head towards the envelope in his hand.

“Oh right! Maki, here you go. Some hard copies for you to frame up,” Laxus said proudly, as he handed the envelope over.

“Ah, thank you, Laxus! Thank you very much! I’m sure these will make great additions to my walls,” Makarov flipped through the pictures carefully as he spoke. He gently returned them to the envelope and placed it on a table. “Alright, follow me!” the old man commanded as he walked towards the garden. 

Lucy saw that Makarov had set up a large square table with three chairs.

“Is your wife not back yet?” she asked.

“No, dear. She is still with our grandchildren. She usually isn’t gone this long, but my daughter-in-law has taken ill,” Makarov explained.

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that,” Lucy extended her condolences.

They took their place, with Makarov at the head, and Laxus and Lucy across from one another. As they sat down, Makarov slapped a palm against his forehead. 

“Laxus, my boy, would you please go back inside and fetch a bottle of wine?” he asked.

“Of course,” Laxus said as he stood up. “Is there a particular one you want?”

“Yes, it has a yellow and green label on it,” Makarov instructed. 

Laxus nodded as he went indoors.

“Is that wine special?” Lucy asked.

“Well, it doesn’t exist. I wasn’t sure if you were comfortable discussing this with Laxus, but I wanted to ask how you were feeling now. About the boy?”

Lucy reached over and held Makarov’s hand, squeezing it as affection gripped her heart.

“I’m okay now. Better than okay, actually. I took your advice and chose to let go of everything that happened. Laxus really helped with that. He helped me put myself back together, and somewhere along the way, I fell in love with him. I really love him, Makarov. He’s good to me, and he’s kind, and he’s honest. He makes me smile more than I have in a very long time.” Lucy’s voice was filled with warmth and love as she spoke of Laxus, and Makarov could tell how deeply she cared for him. 

As for Laxus, Makarov didn’t even have to ask. He was completely besotted with Lucy, and it was written all over his face, clear as day. Though Makarov would never admit it, he knew that if they were ever to split, Laxus would be the inconsolable one, but in Makarov’s head, that was not a bad thing at all. He was proud of Laxus for loving this woman so wholeheartedly. 

“I’m glad, my child,” Makarov finally said after a short silence. “You deserve every happiness in the world, and I am happy that you have found it with Laxus. That boy is a special one, but don’t tell him I said this, okay?” Makarov winked mischievously at Lucy. 

As if on cue, Laxus reappeared with a bottle -- a distinctly red label adhered to its side -- looking irate. 

“Yellow and green label, huh? Doesn’t exist, Maki. After searching endlessly and questioning my eyesight, I took the liberty of picking out any wine I wanted,” Laxus put the bottle down and took his seat.

“Ah, sorry about that, my boy. I must have gotten confused. Old age, you know,” he threw an apologetic look at the blond man, who immediately grinned.

“So, Laxus,” Makarov continued, “where did you buy that lovely necklace for Ms. Lucy?”

“How did you know he bought it for me?” Lucy asked, shocked at his perceptiveness.

“The way you keep fiddling with it told me enough. I have seen many a young woman in love, and I can recognize the signs,” Makarov said with all the wisdom of a sage.

Laxus described the boutique for Makarov, who was now committed to taking his wife there when she came back. 

The three of them ate a leisurely lunch, predominantly listening to Makarov narrate fantastic tales, and when it looked like the sun was going to begin its descent, the couple took their leave.

Lucy gave Makarov a tight hug, and scrawled her email address on a piece of paper, making him promise to write to her. 

As the pair walked out, they didn’t notice the old man looking at them happily, tears of love and affection welling in his eyes.

In the car, Laxus looked over at Lucy. “So, what did the old man want to talk to you about when he sent me on that wild goose chase for the non-existent bottle?”

“You saw through that, huh?” Lucy smirked.

“I love the guy, but Maki has the subtlety of a diarrhetic elephant,” Laxus snorted.

“He wanted to make sure I was okay. After Natsu and everything. And he wanted to make sure you were treating me right,” Lucy said, in answer to his initial question.

“And? Am I treating you right, beautiful?” Laxus smirked at her.

“You treat me too good, baby,” Lucy leaned over to whisper in his ear before biting his neck and smoothing it over with a kiss. The car veered just slightly.

“Damn, woman. You’ll have us both killed,” Laxus huffed as he reverted his focus to the road.

Laxus parked the car on the sandy path by the cove, and quickly jumped out, scanning the area.

“Okay, we got the place to ourselves again. You wanna change into your swimsuit in the car?” he asked Lucy.

Lucy, shook her head, stepping out and collecting whatever she could. Laxus grabbed the rest and followed her as she lay down the blanket. She started pulling her clothes off, until she was entirely naked. Laxus held her swimsuit out, but instead, Lucy reached for the icebox, flipping it open and grabbing two small bottles of sparkling wine. She uncapped both of them and ran into the water.

“You could’ve just told me you wanted to go skinny dipping,” Laxus yelled after her as he undressed.

He ran in behind her, catching up to Lucy when she was in waist deep water. He relieved her of one of the bottles as they waded out slightly further. 

The couple stood, facing the horizon. Laxus was behind Lucy, his firm body pressed against her supple one. The clinked bottles and took a swig, watching the sun slowly fall towards the sea. Laxus had an arm wrapped around Lucy, and she leaned her head against his chest. 

“Lucy, we need to talk about something,” Laxus began.

“I know,” Lucy whispered. She wasn’t happy about the conversation that was going to follow.

“We’ve been here for over two months. And they’ve been the best two months of my life, but my love, I need to go back home soon. I have to get back to working full-time,” Laxus said almost guiltily.

“I know. I can’t stay here forever either. I need to start figuring out what I’m going to do next, and I can’t do that from this island.” Lucy spun in Laxus’s arms to face him. “But I want to,” her voice wavered. “I want to just stay here, like this, with you. Stay like this forever,” her voice broke at the end.

“I want to stay here too, sweetheart. With you, forever,” Laxus said, ghosting a kiss over her lips.

“So now what? We live in different cities, you travel all the time, and my life is currently up in the air. So what do we do?” Lucy asked, her heart breaking at every word. Tears crept into her eyes.

“Hey hey, no crying,” Laxus bent down to kiss her eyelids. “Lucy, I am so madly in love with you. I’m never, ever letting you go, even if that means not travelling and moving to your city, I’ll do it,” Laxus declared.

Lucy laughed shakily, “Or I can move to your city, and travel with you. Maybe get a volunteer job on the side,” she suggested.

Laxus nodded, hugging her. 

“Yeah, don’t worry. We’ll figure it out,” he pressed her into him, stroking her back.

“You’re stuck with me now, buddy. You don’t know what you’ve signed up for,” Lucy mumbled. She felt him laugh, deep vibrations resounding from his chest, right where her head was resting. That feeling, of him laughing as he held her, was Lucy’s most favourite feeling in the world, narrowly beating out the incredible orgasms he was able to provide.

She snuggled further into his chest, her hands encircling his waist and drawing patterns there. Lucy listened to his heartbeat and felt herself become serene. 

It never failed to amaze her how, in two short months, the man in her arms had become such a critical element of her life. She pressed a kiss into his chest.

Laxus tipped her face up to look at him.

“I love you, Heartfilia,” he whispered.

“I love you too, Dreyer,” she whispered back.

They kissed each other deeply.

They kissed with passion and desire. They kissed with love and warmth and affection. 

They continued to kiss, reveling in each other as the warm summer sun set into the Aegean.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end! I have loved writing this story so much! When I started it, I didn't think I'd get so invested in this. I'm honestly a little sad that I had to end it. I spent a couple days drafting out possibilities for how I could extend it. I thought about having them go back home together, maybe meet Lucy's dad, and move in together. Or something set a few years in the future where they were engaged, or had a child. In one version I even had them come back to the island after having broken up, and then rekindling their romance.  
> But at the end of the day, none of those felt true to this story. This one was always about this epic, whirlwind romance on this tiny island. It felt natural to end it on that note of hope, without complications and difficulties, in this fairy tale setting. Just the two of them, and the small Greek island.  
> However, given how attached I am to this universe, I want to expand it. Maybe a story on what Natsu got up to? Or maybe write how Lucy and Laxus navigate their relationship in the real world. Please comment or message me if that's something you'd like to see! I'd love to write it and your lovely messages would be just the motivation I need!  
> Lastly, I wanted to say thank you to the few people who have been with me and this story from the beginning. Your consistent feedback and support has meant the world and would truly make my day! Lots and lots of love!  
> -Persephone


	19. Sequel Sneak Peek!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic has been my pride and joy. The moment I got done with the last chapter, I wanted to continue the story, but I didn't know what I wanted to do. I played around with some stuff before moving on to writing more fics. Now, looking back at this one, I wish I had fleshed it out more and made it more detailed. But nonetheless, this fic remains very close to my heart.
> 
> I normally don't enjoy writing two fics simultaneously, but I was inspired to begin the sequel to Lightning In A Summer Sky, and I simply couldn't let my muse get away from me. So, here you go! This is an excerpt from the first chapter of the sequel, Electric Stars. The full chapter is also going up now, and I hope you are all as excited as I am to get back into this universe!
> 
> I can't wait for your reviews!

"Baby!"

Laxus jerked his head up at the familiar voice, just in time to see a small, blonde woman hurl herself at him. Mercifully braced against the cold steel railing, Laxus managed to catch the girl and prevent his phone from smashing into the ground. He tried forming words, but only delighted chuckles escaped his lips. Standing at the airport, bags strewn everywhere, with the most perfect woman in the world currently in his arms, Laxus marveled at how sometimes, just sometimes, the movies did actually get it right.

"It's good to see you, my love," he finally managed, setting the girl back on her feet. He tucked an errant strand of blonde hair behind her ear and leaned down to give her a soft kiss.

"I've missed you, Laxus," Lucy whispered against her boyfriend's lips.

"I'm never letting you go," Laxus murmured in response, tightening his hold around her waist.

"Okay, let's get into a car quickly. Whether you like it or not, we're getting naked in exactly seven minutes," Lucy threatened, unzipping her jacket as if to prove a point.

Laxus bellowed out a laugh, collecting Lucy's bags that lay by their feet. She slipped her arm into the crook of his elbow, sighing happily when it fit _just right_. On the walk to Laxus's car, he even managed to convince her to let go of the 'naked-in-seven-minutes plan', and grudgingly, Lucy agreed to wait until they got home before she ripped his shirt off.

As they drove to Laxus's house, Lucy rolled down her window and stuck her face out. She wistfully watched the ocean zip past them as Laxus tore down the gorgeous, open coastal road.

"Me too," he finally said, drawing Lucy out her reverie.

"Huh?" she asked, turning to face him.

"Greece. I miss it too. I know the ocean here reminds you of it," he commented. He reached over and squeezed her thigh.

"Yeah… But it's okay. I'm just happy I'm with you again. Anywhere's Greece with you, baby," she winked animatedly at the end.

Laxus let out an amused snort. "Three months must be the longest we've been apart, huh?" he commented.


End file.
